


Can't Help Falling In Love

by Jparker97, Magellan88, suzannahbee123



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Don't copy to another site, F/M, Pepperony - Freeform, Sarry - Freeform, balice, claura, siggie, stevelyn, t'gail
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-10-05 14:52:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 68,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17327075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jparker97/pseuds/Jparker97, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magellan88/pseuds/Magellan88, https://archiveofourown.org/users/suzannahbee123/pseuds/suzannahbee123
Summary: Evelyn Collins has been apart of S.H.I.E.L.D. since the Battle of New York, and she’s always had a thing for Steve. What happens when a chance encounter turns into spending the night with him?





	1. Chapter 1

Man, I hate taking my car to the shop. Sure I could just drive one of Stark’s numerous vehicles, but my Jeep is my baby. I love that thing to death, and as much as I trust Stark, I will never leave it in his hands. With my luck, he’ll pull an Ultron on it and it’ll try to kill me. 

I was on my way back from dropping off the vehicle, enjoying the sights and sounds of the city, when I saw a cute guy sitting on a bench across from a nice Italian restaurant, looking glum. Upon getting closer, my heart started racing as I recognized my Captain. It had to be illegal, how sinful he looked in that blue shirt and those dark jeans. 

[Originally posted by dailymarvelkings](https://tmblr.co/Zdm2Yj2J8c_-g)

He had a bouquet of flowers sitting next to him on the bench, and he kept looking despondently at his watch. He reminded me of a puppy that had been abandoned.

“Steve! What are you doing here?” I called to him, his head snapping up at the sound of his name. He broke into a bright smile and I swear my heart stopped. He got to his feet, testing the limits of his shirt as he stretched. He pulled me into a hug as I reached him, enveloping me in the smell of his cologne.

“Well Evie, I think I’m being stood up,” he sighed dejectedly as he released me. “Nat set me up on a blind date, and we were supposed to meet a half hour ago, but she still hasn’t shown. I haven’t heard a thing from her either.”

He looked so sad it made me wanna cry.

“Who the hell would stand up Captain America? An idiot, that’s who,” I fumed. I know he would never get mad at a woman, so I was mad enough for both of us. Nevermind the fact that I’ve been crushing on him for a while now, so seeing him date other women drives me crazy, but to see one stand him up? Oh hell to the no. I looked around before grabbing his hand. “C’mon, I’m taking you to dinner.” I hope he didn’t realize how clammy mine was as I began to lead him across the street to the restaurant.

“What? No, it’s ok. Really, you don’t-” He started to stammer until I turned and held up my hand to stop him.

“Yes, I do. You got all dressed up, so I’m taking you out. No one deserves to be stood up.” Cars were honking at us, so I grabbed his hand again and led him forward. “Obviously this isn’t a date, so-” he pulled back on my hand, causing me to stumble back against his chest.

“If we’re going out for dinner, then yes, it’s a date,” he stated before walking around me and entering the restaurant. I froze for a moment before I was honked at again. I dashed inside as he was speaking with the hostess. “Rogers, party of two,” he gave her. She nodded as she grabbed menus and silverware and led us to our table. “Ladies first,” he teased, gesturing for me to go.

I followed her to the table, acutely aware of Steve right behind me, all the while my brain was trying to understand how this turned into a date.  _Was he trying to be funny?_  We approached the table and he pulled my chair out for me. I sat down as he scooted it in for me before he sat down in his. 

_Well, you can take the boy out of the ’40s, but you can’t take the '40s out of the boy. Maybe this won’t be such a bad thing._

I could barely breathe with how much I was laughing. Steve had just told me about the time he and Bucky had spent all their cab money trying to impress two women and how neither of them thought to get phone numbers for the girls. I wiped my eyes with my napkin, finally catching my breath enough to talk.

“So all that effort for nothing?” I chuckled. He grinned at me for a moment before answering.

“You’re telling me,” he agreed, taking a drink of water.

“And you honestly didn’t have any money left for a cab?” I asked incredulously. He shook his head.

“Back then we didn’t have much, so having to walk back to our apartment from the Brooklyn Museum was pretty miserable.” I giggled and he cocked his eyebrow at me.

“Oh come on. It couldn’t have been that bad of a walk. You had Bucky with you,” I pointed out. Steve caught my eye and shook his head.

“I was a 90 pound asthmatic, Evie. When we got home, I passed out on the couch. Buck didn’t even bother to bring me to bed he was so tired,” he reminisced. Oh yeah. These were his pre-serum days he was talking about.

“Sorry. I forgot you had said this was before the War,” I apologized before I continued on. “Well, at least you don’t have to worry about all that anymore. You’re no longer asthmatic, women are constantly throwing themselves at you, and you have plenty of money,” I ticked off on my fingers. He smiled at me and chuckled as the waiter dropped off the check.

I reached out to hand it back and tell him to split it when Steve snatched it from under my fingers. He pulled a hundred dollar bill from his wallet and handed it to him. “Keep the change,” he offered, smiling as the waiter’s eyes grew wide before walking away. I stared at Steve, utterly impressed. He grinned sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders.  “What? I’ve always wanted to do that. Besides, you just said I have plenty of money, and that kid probably needs it more than I do.” Elvis Presley’s ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’ began to play over the speakers before he stood and walked around behind me, pulling my chair out again and holding his hand out. “Dance with me?” he asked.

“I dunno Steve. I’m not a very good dancer,” I warned. He shrugged, grinning.

“Neither am I.”

Just when I thought I couldn’t like him anymore, he goes and does that. Fucker knows what he’s doing.

I took his hand and he pulled me into his arms, his right hand going to hold my lower back and his left holding my right hand aloft, while I ran my left hand up to his shoulder. We began to sway in time with the music, getting lost in the lyrics.

**Shall I stay?**

**Would it be a sin**

**If I can’t help falling in love with you**

Steve spun me in a circle, making me swoon.

“What happened to not being a good dancer?” I asked. He chuckled, looking down at me.

“It’s not hard when you have the right partner,” he answered, his voice going all husky. Well, damn it all to hell. Then, to my astonishment, he started to sing along with the lyrics.  ** _“_ Take my hand, take my whole life too. For I can’t help falling in love with you. _”_**  I gasped. I’ve never heard Steve Rogers sing before, and boy did he sound amazing. I suddenly found myself wondering what he sounded like when he moaned and how my name would sound falling from his lips.

Fuck, there go my panties. I shivered at the thought, and Steve pulled me closer, resulting in our hips jutting together. 

“You’re not cold are you?” he asked quietly, mistaking my trembling. I took a deep breath to calm myself as a forbidden thought stole into my mind. 

_No, he is NOT rubbing himself against me. He’s just worried that I’m cold._

“Not with you here,” I replied with a smile. He grinned widely at me, wrapping both arms around me and bringing me even closer while he resumed singing along with the song.

 ** _“Take my hand, take my whole life too. For I can’t help falling in love with you. For I can’t help falling in love with you.”_** The song came to an end and we stared at each other, unsure of what to do next. We were so close that I could start to count the insane amount of eyelashes he has if I were so inclined. 

“Oh god! I’m so sorry!” the waitress cried as she ran into us, effectively bursting the bubble we were in. Luckily, she didn’t have any food in her hands, or it would have ended up all over us. She continued on her way to the kitchen, as Steve and I snapped back to reality.

“I guess we should probably go then,” Steve said quietly, looking defeated. He offered his arm for me to take, and as we walked back through the restaurant, we heard someone making a commotion. As we reached the front door, we came upon a woman there, stomping her foot and throwing a fit, clearly the source of the noise. She caught sight of us and lunged forward, a maniacal gleam in her eyes.

“There you are, Captain! Now we can go get dinner!” she exclaimed triumphantly. This was Steve’s blind date? What was Romanoff thinking when she set those two up? Steve was apparently on the same wavelength as me, because he peeked at me out of the corner of his eyes before looking back and addressing her.

“Kallie? Why are you here? We were supposed to meet over two hours ago,” he began. She scoffed at him.

“So? I’m here now,” she spat. “Let’s get some drinks and get to know each other. I’m sure you’ll find that I’m a delight,” she simpered, batting her eyes. I rolled mine and was about to give her a piece of my mind when Steve cut in.

“No, we’re not going to get drinks. You were late, you didn’t let me know where you were or when you would be here. So I found someone else to take to dinner, and I had a much better time,” he explained as he gestured to me.

I felt proud (and a little smug) to be called his date, but I guess she didn’t like being told no, or the look on my face, because she raised her hand toward me. Steve pushed me behind him and she came too close to hitting him. “I think you need to leave now,” he insisted, catching the eye of the manager, who came over and escorted her out the door.

“You okay?” Steve asked me.

I looked up at him and smiled. “Yeah, I’m fine. She didn’t touch me, thanks to you,” I assured him.

He grinned back at me and I’m glad I was holding onto him, or my legs would have given out.  _I have got to get a grip,_  I thought to myself. We walked outside and headed back across the street, but once we reached the other side, I pulled on his arm to get his attention. “Steve, you don’t mind giving me a ride home, do you?” I asked. “I had just dropped off my Jeep at the shop when I ran into you.” He glanced down at me in shock, before looking around at the busy street.

“Were you going to walk back to the Tower alone or get a cab?” he asked warily. I thought about it for a moment, before shrugging.

“Well, had I not run into you earlier, I had planned on walking back. But now, I’m not so sure about it,” I answered before shuddering at the alternative. “I’d rather not get into a cab either because I don’t really trust anyone else behind the wheel of the car I’m riding in other than myself.” He nodded before looking down and kicking at the sidewalk for a bit.

“I don’t mind to give you a lift, and I’d be incredibly upset with myself if I let a young lady walk home alone at night.” Ever the gentleman. I suspect this is from fear of his mother coming back from the dead and kicking his ass. “Wanna go for a walk before we head back?” he asked. The chance to spend more time with Steve? Hell yeah.

“Sure. Lead the way, Captain,” I conceded, smiling at him. He offered his arm again and we set off, Steve regaling me with more stories about he and Bucky growing up.

We must have walked at least four blocks before we finally began to head down the sidewalk towards the parking lot. We reached the back of the lot, where a blacked-out Harley-Davidson bike was parked all by itself. Steve climbed on, looking at me expectantly.

“What’s the matter, scared of a little ride?” he teased, smirking at the ‘deer-in-headlights’ look on my face. I’ve never been on a motorcycle before. Sure they look cool, but I like having a cage of metal between me and everything else.

“No, I just thought that you had maybe driven a car here,” I replied. He chuckled.

“Kallie and I were supposed to meet here, so I didn’t bother taking a car to pick her up,” he answered. I scoffed.

“Right, because Captain America doesn’t sleep on the first date, right?” I shot back to which he hung his head, a smile tugging at his lips.

“Well, not with just anyone. The right woman, and I might.” He blushed then, no doubt thinking about the ‘right woman’. When I still didn’t move, Steve looked me over. “Hey, if you don’t want to ride with me, that’s fine. I’ll wait with you until someone else can come to pick you up,” he offered.

Was I  _really_  going to pass up a chance to go on a ride with Steve?


	2. Chapter 2

You bet your sweet ass I wasn’t gonna pass this up.

“I don’t mind, not a damn bit,” I declared. He smiled as he patted the seat behind him.

“Hop on.” I’ve been trying to ‘hop on’, again, for a while now, so be careful what you wish for, buddy.

I climbed on behind him, putting a couple inches between us. He glanced back, frowning when he saw how far apart we were. “You gotta scoot up, doll. Put your arms around me and hold on tight.” Steve hooked a hand behind each of my knees and pulled me snug against his back. I was suddenly aware of the ache between my legs and I was thanking my lucky stars I had on jeans, otherwise, he might have a wet spot on his ass.

Oh, sweet Jesus. I swear he’s doing this on purpose. Surely I don’t need to be  _this_  close to him.

He started the engine and pulled out of the spot. “Do you want to go straight to the Tower, or do you mind if we go for a little drive?” he asked over his shoulder. I stretched up far as possible so I could answer him.

“I don’t care where we go, just don’t get in a wreck!” I yelled before burying my face in his back. I felt, rather than heard, his resulting laugh before he took off into traffic.

Oh. My. God. This is incredible. I could see why he loved his bike. I loosened my death grip on Steve’s chest and sat up straighter, reveling in feeling the wind in my hair. So glad I decided to wear it down today instead of pulling it back.

Steve came to a stop at a stoplight and leaned back. “I’m taking you to Brooklyn. I can show you where I grew up and where Buck and I lived,” he called over the roar of the engine.

He wants to drive all the way to Brooklyn? With me?

“Uh, sure. You’re the driver,” I replied. He grinned before heading down the street. We passed by the Tower on the way. Stark is right, it does look like a Christmas Tree, but made in his image.

Steve apparently wanted to take the scenic route, because we were driving down FDR Drive, along the East River. The moon was bathing everything in silver. Before I knew it, we were driving over the Brooklyn Bridge. I clutched onto Steve for dear life, prompting him to chuckle. When we came to a stoplight, he turned to me again with a smirk.

“What’s wrong? Being in Brooklyn scare ya?” he teased. I exhaled slowly, grateful to be back on solid ground.

“No. I’m not a fan of bridges or being over water in general. I don’t know how to swim, so I’m deathly afraid of water,” I confessed. He was taken aback by this.

“Oh. Well, that makes sense as to why you don’t like swimming with the rest of us. How about I teach ya how to swim?” he offered, coming to a stop as we had arrived at our destination.

“Nah, I’m good. Thanks though,” I answered. I didn’t need the added frustration of Steve, clad in swim shorts and dripping wet while trying to learn to swim. 

He helped me off his bike before throwing his arm carelessly over my shoulders and walking down the sidewalk. For the next few hours, Steve guided me around Brooklyn, pointing out all the places that held significance to him and Bucky, his arm around me the whole time.

As we approached his motorcycle, I tried but failed, to stifle a yawn. His super soldier hearing caught it and he chuckled. “Is it past your bedtime, little girl?” he taunted, gently shaking me. I rolled my eyes as I yawned again.

“Just a little. I’m surprised you’re still awake, old man,” I joked. He threw his head back and laughed, his hand coming to rest on his chest until he was done.  

“12:43 isn’t too late, and I’m only 100. I’m not  _that_  old,” he clarified.

“Oh yeah, 100 isn’t very old at all, especially when you’re built like a brick shit house,” I retorted, the second half of my reply skewed as I had yawned again. “I’m ready to go home. Let’s call it a night.”

Steve nodded as he climbed back on the bike. I clambered on behind him, gladly resting my head against his back. He started the bike and headed back across the bridge, while I struggled to keep my eyes open. I dozed off a few times and felt my hands start to slip but I would pull them back up until finally he grabbed my hands in one of his and held them the rest of the way. The last thing I remember is seeing the Tower in the distance before I lost the battle and fell asleep.

#

I woke up in a warm bed. I stretched my body out and looked over to check the time.

Hmm. I don’t remember having a picture of Steve and Bucky on my nightstand.

I was starting to realize that I was somewhere other than my room when an arm tightened around me. I froze, looking down quickly and sighing in relief to see that I still had my clothes on. I was checking out the arm around me when I recognized the watch.

Holy shit. How did I end up in bed with Steve? I cautiously rolled over and was met with a sleepy grin.

“Morning. You know, you’re the only person I’ve ever met that can fall asleep on the back of a bike like that,” Steve mumbled, pulling me into his chest in a tight hug. I swooned internally as I hugged him back.

“What can I say? I had a good time last night,” I replied. “It was so exhilarating riding on your bike that it wore me out.” I looked around his room, taking in his nondescript decor. “I’m just curious but, how did I end up in here?” I whispered. He chuckled before dropping his voice to a whisper as well.

“Well, I had so much fun with you that I just had to take you to bed,” I swore my heart stopped when he winked. I must have had a funny look on my face because he barked out a laugh.  “Nah I’m just playing. You were out cold when we got back, and my plan was to put you in your room, but your door was locked. So, I did the only logical thing I could think of and brought you to bed with me.” Oh. Well, that makes sense.

“Well, thank you. For everything. You’re such a gentleman, Steve.” I sat up, looking down at him. “So, last night you said that since we were going to have dinner then it was a date. Were you being serious?” I asked. He sat up as well, facing me.

“Well yeah, kinda. Though, I’m not sure it counts since I didn’t actually ask you,” he answered. I giggled, a thought coming to me just then.

“Well, then I guess you can still say that you don’t sleep on the first date,” I joked, to which he blushed. “I’m going to go back to my room now. Thanks again.” I stood and quickly left his room, almost running down the hallway, unlocking and opening my door in record time. I had spent the past 12 hours in Steve’s immediate company, and my brain was about to explode. I needed to get behind closed doors before I could freak.

I threw myself on my bed and shoved my face into the pillow before screaming into it. When I was done, I grabbed some clean clothes and jumped in the shower before heading to the kitchen to grab some breakfast.

“There she is,” exclaimed Nat as I walked in. “I heard that you and Steve had fun last night. Glad you were able to show him a good time,” she remarked, winking at me. I made an ‘shhh’ gesture as I smiled at her.

“Shouldn’t you be upset that he didn’t go out with your friend?” I asked. She shrugged.

“I don’t really care who he goes out with, as long as he’s happy.” I nodded in agreement before opening the fridge. I grabbed the eggs and a pack of bacon and was about to shut the door when I felt someone press up behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw Steve, his hair still damp from his apparent shower.

 _No, I will NOT think about Steve all hot, dripping wet, and naked in his room,_  I thought to myself as I shook my head to clear it. I ducked under his arm and headed to the stove, grabbing a pan from the cabinet.

“Hey, so I was thinking that maybe we could make our arrangement from last night a permanent thing. That was the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had,” Steve said as he poured two glasses of milk. I blinked a few times, replaying his words over in my head to make sure I heard him right. He put the milk away and grabbed both glasses, handing one to me and taking a drink of his. “How about it?” he asked. I took a drink while I thought it over.

“Whoa, what arrangement?” Nat inquired as she walked by to put her bowl in the sink.

“We slept together last night, and it was the best night I’ve had in a while,” Steve clarified for her. She turned to me with a surprised look and punched my arm, causing me to spill some of my milk.

“You finally hit that? About damn time. Guess you had a  _lot_ offun last night,” she snickered. I froze in shock, the glass falling from my hand.

No. No no no no no. She didn’t.

She looked up when the glass shattered, understanding crossing her face as she realized her mistake. “Shit. You didn’t tell him, did you?” I could see Steve looking between us out of the corner of my eye, his face looking more and more unbelieving.

“What is she talking about Evie?” he demanded, turning me to face him. His eyes searched my face for any sign of humor, but he didn’t find any. “Do you have feelings for me?” He sounded horrified at the possibility of a teammate harboring a crush on him. I couldn’t look him in the eye, because I knew I would find rejection there.

“Yes Steve, I do. I’ve had them for a while, but I never said anything because I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable,” I mumbled, stepping around him and grabbing a dustpan from under the sink to sweep up the glass. I threw it away before pulling a towel off the counter and stooping down to clean up the milk. “Don’t worry Steve. Just pretend that you never heard any of this, and we can go back to the way things were,” I assured him.

I turned and glared at Natasha, feeling betrayed. “Thanks a lot, Romanoff. At least now I know who I can’t trust anymore,” I snarled, throwing the wet towel at her. It hit her chest with a satisfying SMACK before falling to the floor with a PLOP. The look of disgust on her face was priceless as I smirked and turned to leave the room.


	3. Chapter 3

I walked towards my room, hesitating with my hand on the knob. I didn’t want anyone to bother me, but I needed to clear my head too, so I decided to go down to the lab. I went through the emergency exit and descended a few flights of stairs, before cutting over to the elevator. I could immerse myself in my work and shut everyone out while I was in my favorite place.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y, can you please not let anyone know where I am, especially Captain Rogers?” I asked the A.I. while I waited to reach the floor.

“Certainly Dr. Collins. Dr. Banner is already in the lab,” she answered. As much as I may miss J.A.R.V.I.S.,  Stark’s new assistant is pretty cool. The elevator opened and I stepped out, heading down the hall. Once I got to the lab, I caught sight of my dad, my anger and embarrassment from earlier dissipating.

Dr. Banner wasn’t really my dad, but for all intents and purposes, he was. I slid up next to him, peering over at the numbers in front of him. I started to throw out random numbers, attempting to throw him off.

“23, 6, 14, 78, 59.” Without breaking concentration, he reached up and put his hand over my mouth. I giggled before wrapping my arms around him and snuggling into his chest. “Hi dad,” I grumbled, my voice muffled by his lab jacket. He glanced down for a split second, doing a double take as he saw my grimace.

“What happened? You never frown,” he asked, concerned. I shrugged him off, not wanting to relive the humiliation. He raised his eyebrows at me, and I folded, knowing that he would find out eventually.

“It’s nothing. Just Romanoff ruining my life,” I lamented. He snorted at me.

“You’re so dramatic. It can’t be that bad,” he retorted. I rolled my eyes at him before continuing.

“She told Steve that I have feelings for him. Well, not outright told him. She alluded to it.” He didn’t seem too concerned, so I explained further. “I ran into Steve last night on my way home from dropping off my Jeep. He had been stood up, so we ended up going out to dinner and on a motorcycle ride-”

“A motorcycle ride? Is that what they’re calling it now?” He laughed. I stared at him, astonished, for a split second before recovering.

“No, not like that. He had driven his Harley there and since I had no ride, he drove me home. We went to Brooklyn and he showed me all his old haunts first, though.”

“Uh-huh, sure.” Bruce started to chuckle again but quickly stopped at the sight of my face. “Sorry.”

“He drove us back here, and I had fallen asleep, so he was going to put me in my room but my door was locked, so he brought me to bed with him. Nothing happened, because Captain America isn’t a skeeze.”

He looked at me quizzically. “How did Natasha allude that you like Steve? It sounds like you and he went on a date, so he probably knew how you felt already.” I shook my head, trying not to get my hopes up.

“When the three of us were in the kitchen, Steve said we had slept together. He meant it as the literal meaning, but Nat took it as I had finally told him how I felt and ‘slept’ with him. She said ‘about damn time’ and it went downhill from there.” I was starting to get upset, but it wasn’t with Romanoff’s deception. “You could tell by how he reacted that it wasn’t welcomed news. He seemed…” I trailed off, trying to find the right word to describe the look on his face.

“Creeped out? Disgusted? Ashamed? Angry?” Bruce threw out some possibilities, but only made me feel worse.

“No. Yes. Bruce, he looked  _horrified_. Like it’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to him.” I bowed my head in shame. “This is why I didn’t want him to know. Up until now, I’ve been able to imagine what it could be like if he felt the same way.” I sniffed, willing the tears to go away. “But now that I know how he feels, I realize that I was kidding myself. I’ll never be good enough for him,” I whimpered.

Bruce wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight. “It’s alright. I’ve got you, honey,” he murmured, a wave of fatherly affection washing over me. I really hit the dad jackpot with Bruce. I felt better, knowing that I had his shoulder to cry on. My stomach chose that moment to growl rather loudly, causing me to remember that I hadn’t had breakfast yet. “Wait right here. I’ll go grab us something to eat while we work, ok?” I nodded as he left and went upstairs.

Blowing my nose, I walked over to the work table and pulled up the Gamma research that I had been working on and got busy. I know Bruce hates having ‘the other guy’ inside him, so I’ve been doing my best to find a cure.

I had read about his experiment when I was younger, and it intrigued me so much that I went into the field of Gamma Radiation and research, which led me to be one of the top researchers in the field, second to Bruce. He was so impressed with my determination and dedication to finding a cure that he took me under his wing when he joined S.H.I.E.L.D. and we work so well together that we adopted a father/daughter relationship.

I was so immersed in my work, that I hadn’t heard my visitor’s shoes walk up behind me. I had my feet perched on the table’s edge and my chair tipped back while I studied. I threw my pen and notepad down and groaned in frustration, rubbing my eyes with the palms of my hands.

“You know, if-oh god! Are you ok?” Steve cried out. I had fallen off the chair and landed with an OOF. He hurried over and helped me up, stepping back when I shooed him away. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you. You alright?” I nodded, rubbing my back where I landed.

“Yeah, I’ll be alright. I’ve had worse,” I grumbled. “How did you know I was down here Steve?” He rubbed the back of his neck, guilt plain as day on his face. “F.R.I.D.A.Y, I asked you not to tell him where I was,” I huffed in irritation.

“She didn’t. Bruce came up to fix some food and it kinda gave it away when he was making two plates.” Oh. “I snuck around him and came down here. I wanted to talk to you about earlier.” No. I’m not ready for that discussion yet. I started to shake my head and back away.

“Steve, please. There’s no need for that. Let’s just go back to the way things were before this morning,” I begged. He began to stride forward, matching every step I took backward. I scurried around the table, trying to put as much distance as possible between us. “Steeeve…AAHHH!” I screamed as he lunged forward suddenly. He chased me around the lab, trying to catch me. Finally, he vaulted over a table and threw an arm around my middle, picking me up off the ground.

“Gotcha! Come on, we’re going somewhere where we can talk,” he declared, carrying me down the hall to the elevator. I started to struggle, but he held me tighter. “The more you fight me, the longer I’ll hold you,” he threatened. I slumped back against him, giving in.

“Fine, but I’m walking by myself. There’s no need to man-handle me,” I retorted. He released me, setting me down upright. We stood there, waiting for the elevator to stop on our floor. Shortly before it arrived, I ran from him into another lab area. He gave chase again, but I threw a chair down behind me and he tripped over it. His momentary pause gave me enough time to run and shut the door behind me, locking him in.

“Evie,” he called, pounding on the glass. I smiled in triumph as he shook his head at me. “Evelyn, let me out.”

Uh oh, my full first name. He must really be irritated.

I shook my head at him, an evil grin on my lips. The elevator finally opened and I got in.

“My unlock code is my birthday. If you remember it, you can get out,” I called. The last thing I saw was his irritated face as the door shut.


	4. Chapter 4

The elevator opened back at the living quarters. I stepped out, catching sight of Bruce, Bucky, Alice, and Romanoff in the kitchen. I walked up, grabbing the plate of food next to Bruce. “This looks good,” I thanked him, wolfing it down, trying to hurry before Steve came up here to find me.

“Whoa easy tiger. Food’s not gonna disappear. I’ll see you back in the lab.” Bruce waved bye as he got in the elevator. I slowed down a bit when I realized that Steve obviously hadn’t gotten in the elevator yet, which meant that he wouldn’t be up here for a while.

“Did Steve find you?” Bucky asked. I nodded my head, as my mouth was currently stuffed. “So, where is he?”

I swallowed quickly. “I locked him in one of the lab rooms and came up here alone. Pretty sure he’s gonna be pissed when he finds me again,” I laughed, rinsing the plate off. Bucky looked impressed that I was able to do that, but also worried. “Don’t worry. All he has to do is remember my birth date and he’ll be able to get out.” He snorted which made me laugh.

“So, why did he want to find you so badly?” Bucky just wouldn’t let it go.

“Because  _someone_  told him that I have feelings for him,” I explained, shooting a dirty look in Nat’s direction. She rolled her eyes and left the room. “He wanted to talk to me about it, but there’s nothing that needs to be said.” Bucky raised an eyebrow at me.

“Why’s that?” he pressed. I pushed past him, fully intending on hiding in my room when he grabbed my arm and spun me around. “What if he feels the same? You ever think about that?” I glared at him.

“No, because I know he doesn’t. He never will,” I sighed. He scrunched his face up in disbelief while Alice snorted.  

“Evie, I told you. He does like you, and now that he knows you like him back, you guys can finally be together,” Alice pointed out triumphantly. Bucky smirked at me before I turned to walk away.

“Where ya going?” he started to repeat, stepping in my path as I tried to go around him. I was getting more frustrated as he continued to impede me from escaping. I started to swing at him, hoping to make him back up and leave me be.

“Bucky for fuck’s sake leave her be! She wants to be left alone,” Alice shouted. Bucky ignored her, continuing to stand in my way.

“Fuck OFF, Barnes!” I snarled, landing a punch to his stomach. He recoiled, and I darted around him, but not before he recovered and caught my wrist, yanking me back around.

“Let her go for god’s sake,” Alice said, laying her hand on Bucky’s arm. He blinked and looked at her, and it was like watching a deaf man hear for the first time. I don’t know the whole story about how they met, but I know she’s been by his side since the fall of SHIELD. Alice can get through to Bucky in ways that not even Steve can. She waited for him the entire time he was in cryo in Wakanda and when he followed Steve back home, she was right there with him. It makes me kinda jealous to see the connection and love they share because there’s no way I’d ever have that with Steve.

“Why do you think Steve would never feel the same way about you, huh?” He asked softly and I finally snapped.

“BECAUSE I’M NOT PEGGY FUCKIN’ CARTER!” I shouted at him. I stood there, my chest heaving as he looked at me, guilt strangely written all over his face. I saw Bucky and Alice’s eyes glance behind me as I heard heavy footsteps. Heart sinking, I slowly turned around and saw Steve standing there, looking ashamed.

“I think we’re going to leave you two alone,” Bucky mumbled, grabbing Alice and scurrying from the room. I stood there, waiting for Steve to speak.

“So…” he began. He looked so uncomfortable, so I decided to help him out.

“Don’t. There’s no need for you to say anything-”

 _“ATTENTION: ALL TEAM MEMBERS REPORT TO THE MEETING ROOM IMMEDIATELY. REPEAT, ALL TEAM MEMBERS REPORT TO THE MEETING ROOM IMMEDIATELY.”_  I glanced back at Steve, who had been steadily approaching me during the announcement. He was right in front of me, his eyes searching my face.

“Looks like you guys have a new mission, huh?” I asked, a little breathless at how close he was. He grabbed my chin and pulled it up, and I swear his eyes dropped down to my lips. Just then, Sam and Bucky came into the room.

“Yo, On Your Left, let’s go.” And just like that, whatever we had was broken.

Sam Wilson, I swear you are the biggest cockblock that has ever existed because I think Steve was about to kiss me!

I stepped around Steve and headed towards my room. I heard what sounded like a punch, followed by an “Oww! What the hell was that for, Rogers?” before I shut my door. My chin was still tingling where Steve had held it, and as hard as I tried, I couldn’t shake the thought of if he was about to kiss me. I sat down at my desk, pulling up my research from earlier and picking up where I left off, trying to ignore my imagination zooming into overdrive about what could have happened if we hadn’t been interrupted.

After a few minutes, I received an incoming message from F.R.I.D.A.Y. on my screen. “Dr. Collins, the team is requesting that you join them. This mission concerns you and Dr. Banner.” What? That’s a first.

“Uh, ok. Tell them I’ll be right there,” I answered her. I logged off my computer and headed to the elevator. I’ve been to the meeting room a couple of times, but never during a mission briefing, so I’m a little apprehensive. I reached the floor and strode to the room, pausing just before I entered.

“Ah, Evie. Glad you could join us. Have a seat,” Tony greeted, indicating the open seat between him and Bruce. I sat down and he began to explain why I was needed. “We’ve come across information that HYDRA has been conducting their own Gamma Radiation research, and that they’ve made a breakthrough.” I felt my jaw drop. “If this is true, we’re afraid that they might try to create an army of…Hulks, for lack of a better word.” I turned to Bruce, who looked sick.

“If they have found a way, we need to intercept the research and keep it out of their hands,” he finished for Tony. I looked between them in disbelief.

“How are we supposed to intercept the research? It’s not like we can just waltz right in and download it,” I reasoned. Tony flashed his trademark smirk at me, and I felt dread fill me up inside. “That’s exactly what we’re going to do, aren’t we?” I groaned, hiding my face in my hands. “Tony, I’m not special like any of you. I’m not trained for anything like that. I mean, I can shoot a gun, but that’s about it,” I whined. He brushed that aside and began to draw up the teams.

“Rhodey, Thor, and I will be escorting Banner. Romanoff, Wilson, and Lang will be a backup team. Maximoff, Barton, and Vision will be another backup, which leaves Barnes and Rogers to escort you, Doc.” No. This can’t be happening. I cannot be left with Steve. Bucky I can handle, but not Steve.

“Surely I don’t need both of them for protection. I’m sure Sergeant Barnes is more than enough, so how about if Captain Rogers joins your team?” I could see Steve frown out of the corner of my eye as I tried my best to get away from him. Tony’s brow furrowed in confusion, before glancing over at Steve.

“Capsicle, didn’t you say that she would feel safer with you around? Isn’t that why you volunteered to be her protection detail?” Oh, what fresh hell is this? He asked? “We already discussed this before you got here, Evie. We had other plans in case you point blank refused to go, but we banked on you going if Bruce went.” Damn. They’re good.

“Wait, why am I even needed though? You have Bruce to look over the research. What good what I do?” I was honestly confused as to why I was needed. Surely with Bruce there, I was just unnecessary.

“On the off chance that Dr. Banner can’t uh, control himself, you’re the only one who can get the research.” Well,  _shit_.

“Fine, I guess I’ll go. As long as Bruce goes, I will too. When do we leave?” I guess I’m going on my first mission with the Avengers. This could be very good, or very bad.

“After we suit up. Cap, why don’t you show Dr. Novice here what she’ll need?” Ok, I saw the wink this time. He’s intentionally screwing with me. We all stood up from the table and left the room, and while everyone headed for the elevator, I took the stairs. It’s nice taking them because I can take my time and think about things.

“Hey wait up!” I heard the door slam shut and feet thundering down the stairs. I looked over my shoulder and saw Bucky rushing to join me. “Mind if I walk with you?” I threw my hands up in a “whatever” gesture and we descended the flights in silence. “So, why don’t you want Steve to be on our team? I figured you’d be giddy at the thought of being stuck with him.” I sighed before answering him.

“Bucky, it’s not that I’m not excited about being with him. It’s the fact that he doesn’t actually want to do this. He’s only doing this so he can let me down easy.” He scoffed and I glared at him.

“Evie, come on. Alice knows what she’s talking about. She’s made the joke a few times that he should go live in the forest because of the illegal amount of pining he’s done for you,” he shot back. I giggled at the last part before trailing off and sighing. 

_Yeah, I wish that were the case._

“He doesn’t feel the same way as I do. His only options are to take me on a ‘pity date’ or to give me the old ‘I don’t think of you that way, we’re just friends’ speech.” Bucky side-eyed me and I giggled again. “I’d die before letting him take me on a pity date and I already know that he doesn’t feel the same, so there’s nothing we need to discuss.”

“Whatever. Just so you know, I’m taking point on this mission, so you and him are stuck together. No take backs,” he laughed before jumping over the rail and falling a few flights before grabbing another handrail and hopping over.

“Cocksucker,” I growled. I cut through the floor I was at to get to the elevator. When I finally arrived at my door, I saw that Steve was waiting for me. “Alright Rogers, just tell me what I need and you can go,” I drawled, opening my door and entering my room. He followed me in and shut the door behind him, before spinning me around and pressing his lips to mine.


	5. Chapter 5

I gasped against his lips before my hands fisted into his shirt to hold him close. His arms snaked around me, squeezing me entirely too hard, but for some reason, it wasn’t hard enough. His lips were soft yet firm, and I swooned as they molded to mine. I slid my hands up into his hair and tugged at the soft tresses. Steve moaned into my mouth, spurring me to tug harder.

KNOCK

KNOCK

KNOCK

“Hey Evie,” I heard Bruce call out as he opened my door. Steve and I sprung apart hastily, our chests heaving. He raised his eyebrows at us in a silent question before shaking his head.

“We weren’t doing anything,” I blurted out. Bruce regarded us skeptically before continuing.

“Riiiight. So I just wanted to talk with you about going into the field. Steve, could you give us a minute?  I’m sure you can always go back to ‘not doing anything’ after we get back,” he snarked, hiding a laugh in a cough. Steve huffed in defeat before opening the door.

“Just wear dark clothes and you should be fine. See you in a bit,” he said, stopping with his hand on the door. “Oh, and Evie? We are going to finish that conversation when we get back.” He gave me a knowing smile before closing the door behind him. I met Bruce’s eyes and I felt my face burn with embarrassment.

“Uh…” I started, not sure how to address the situation.

“It’s not my business. All I ask is for you to be careful. Both in the field and with the Captain.” Bruce interjected, throwing his hands up to stop me from saying any more. “Going into the field as a civilian is risky. Just make sure to keep as quiet as possible, and always be on alert. You’ll have Steve and Bucky as protection, so you’ll be safe, but if something happens, ditch the research and get out-”

“But that’s the whole point of the mission; to get the Gamma research,” I cut in, panicked. He waved his hand dismissively.

“No buts. I don’t care if the entire team gets pissy about leaving the research behind. We can always go after it again, but what we can’t do is make a new you.” I opened my mouth to argue but he shook his head. “End of discussion. Hurry up and get ready, the team’s waiting for us,” Bruce stated, his tone evident that he wasn’t going to argue the point anymore.

I hung my head and sighed before I jumped into my closet and pulled on some black jeans, a black long sleeve, and my black Vans. I raced out the door and joined everyone.

“Let’s get this show on the road,” I joked, clapping my hands together.

#

The flight there was tense. Bruce and I sat across from each other, reciting Pi decimals as far as we could. It was a little game we had come up with, to see who could go the farthest. Bruce beats me every time, but I’m not one to step down from a challenge. Every so often, I would catch Steve’s eye, his gaze darkening as he grinned.

I was starting to think that maybe Natasha giving away my secret wasn’t the worst thing in the world. It seems like maybe Steve did feel the same way, and if so, then we did have a lot of catching up to do. I was incredibly eager to get back home.

Suddenly, the quintet started to nose down as we descended. Everyone started to grab their gear, so I grabbed a holster, strapping it on before loading one of the spare handguns and sticking a spare magazine in the holster.

We all disembarked then split into teams. As he promised, Bucky took point, followed by myself then Steve, as we entered the facility. I could feel Steve’s eyes on me as he brought up the rear. We emerged into what appeared to be an office, a lone computer in the corner. I walked over, booting it up and began looking for the research.

“Hey guys,” I called to get Steve and Bucky’s attention. “Either this computer was wiped clean, or there’s no research at all.” I kept trying different keywords to find anything gamma related, but I found nothing.

“What do you mean there’s no research?” Bucky asked. Just then, we all heard Bruce come over the comms.

“Guys this was a trap. They have nothing gamma related. And I just…” he trailed off, distracted.

“Bruce? You ok?” I asked shakily. There’s was a pause before he came back.

“We need to get out of here,” he started, before we heard shooting.

“BRUCE!” I yelled, hearing only gunfire in my ear. “BRUCE!” There were more shots fired, and then we heard a familiar roar reverberate through the building. “Oh no,” I whispered. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Steve standing next to me. He pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly.

“He’ll be ok. The rest of the team will take care of him,” he promised, rubbing my back. “But right now, Bucky and I need to get you out of here safely. I have no desire to face Dr. Banner’s wrath if I allow any harm to befall you.” I leaned my head back to look at him when I froze.

“NO!” I screamed, pushing Steve with all my might. He stumbled back, the red dot disappearing from his chest. I looked him in the face as everything went black. “FUCK!” I shouted as I felt something white-hot hit my shoulder. I went down as the lights began to flash in an emergency status. I glanced over my shoulder, looking for whoever shot me. I saw Steve throw his shield at the shooter as Bucky began taking down the HYDRA agents who were coming in the door.

“Evie! I need you to get up!” Steve commanded, kicking two agents through a wall. I stood up shakily, holding my shoulder and stumbling to his side. We tried to leave the room, Steve pushing me ahead of him to get me to safety quicker. Another HYDRA agent raised his gun and started shooting at us. Bucky held his left arm up to shield himself from the onslaught of bullets, causing them to ricochet. All of a sudden, I felt pain in my abdomen. I looked down at my hands, and all I saw was blood.

“NOOOOOOO! EVIE!” I’ve never heard Steve scream like that before. I fell to my knees, my vision getting fuzzy. He ran to my side, hoisting me into his arms. He stuck his shield in front of me, to keep me safe from any further bullets, while Bucky followed him, gun held high. “We’ve gotta get out of here now! Evie’s been hit, and she’s losing blood fast!” Steve shouted through the comms. We burst out of the building and ran to the quinjet.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to @omg-hawkeye for the Bucky and Steve drawing

I woke up in the medical wing of the Tower. I was hurting all over, and I was starving. Looking around, I saw the ‘call nurse’ button and pushed it, my voice hoarse from disuse as I asked for help. A nurse came in with a cup of water and some ice. 

“Here Evie. Drink this. I’ll bring you some food when the ice is gone too.” She smiled at me, bending a straw in the cup so I could drink easier.

“Can you get Dr. Banner for me?” I rasped. She nodded before leaving the room. I was alone for maybe a heartbeat when Bruce burst through the door. He looked like hell; face pale, hair a mess, more than a 5 o’clock shadow dusting the lower half of his face. He broke into a smile when he saw I was awake, before coming to hug me.

“Thank god you’re alright. The last thing I remember is hearing you on the comms, then  _he_  took over. I was worried that I would hurt you,” he murmured in my ear. I patted his back before he pulled away.

“Bruce,” I began quietly, “you have nothing to worry about.” I paused to take another drink. “HYDRA set a trap for all of us, and we fell for it.” He frowned at that statement.

“I shouldn’t have brought you along, though. I should have told Tony that you had no business being in the field like that. This is my fault.” I’ve never seen Bruce this conflicted before. “And I put entirely too much faith in Steve and Barnes to keep you safe-”

“No Bruce, you didn’t,” I cut in. “I took a shot meant for Steve because I pushed him out of the way. And Bucky was using his arm as a makeshift shield to deflect bullets and one accidentally got me.” He opened his mouth to argue but was interrupted by the rest of the team filing into the room.

“Oh, thank goodness you’re ok!” Alice squealed as she hugged me. The rest of the team all hugged me, Bucky and Steve hanging back and looking guilty. I took notice of this and felt bad. No doubt Bruce has been ripping them a new one over letting me get shot.

“Bucky, Steve, please don’t beat yourselves up. It’s not your fault.” I thought about what had happened before repeating myself. “It’s not your fault at all.” Bucky shook his head at me.

“Yes, it is. We got too preoccupied with putting down enemies that we forgot to get you out of there safely. You got shot five times, so yes, it is our fault.” Whoa. Five times? I only remember the one in my shoulder and one hitting my stomach.

 _“Five times?”_  I squeaked, dropping my cup in shock. Alice ran to get me another while Bruce grabbed a towel and helped me dry off.

“Yes five. I was trying to tell you that when everyone walked in. You took the one in the shoulder and then the others hit your abdomen.” He tossed the towel on the side table before turning back to me. “I think the reason you don’t remember all of them, is that after the first one hit, the pain was strong enough that you didn’t feel the rest.” That does make sense.

“Wait. How long have I been here?” I was anxious to get out and finish talking to Steve. Everyone exchanged a look, and I was suddenly uneasy. I don’t like losing track of that much time.

“You’ve been out for just a couple days. They had to put you under to make sure none of the bullets perforated any organs. That’s where things get interesting,” Natasha smirked as she shook her head. “The bullet you took for Steve was a straight through-and-through. It was too far to the left, so it missed the vital arteries. It did, however, hit its intended target, albeit barely.” Steve stepped forward and tugged his shirt sleeve up, revealing the minute hole on his bicep.

“It didn’t even register that I got hit until we got back here. I was covered in blood, and I assumed it was yours, but it was too warm. I took my suit off and there it was.” He smiled fondly at me. “You saved my life, so I owe you one.” He winked and I could feel my face getting hot. Nat cleared her throat and continued to explain what else happened.

“The other four, all ricochets, were also through-and-through. They missed every major artery and organ. You are the luckiest gunshot survivor I’ve ever met.” Wow. That is lucky. Bruce grabbed my chart and looked it over.

“According to this, you will be released as soon as the doctors see that you’re able to keep food and liquids down and that your stitches haven’t popped, but you already know all that.” I nodded as I rolled my eyes. “If they’re satisfied with your progress, then you get to go home, but you’re confined to the lab, your room, the kitchen, and living area.” He read a little more before finishing the instructions. “Bed rest is preferred, but I can see that not happening, along with sponge baths, also not happening.”

I saw Bucky lean in and whisper in Alice’s ear, and the resulting grin was unsettling. Steve, no doubt hearing what was said, blushed before slapping the back of Bucky’s head. “Knock it off, Buck,” he admonished. The brunette looked over his shoulder at Steve, before looking back at me and winking with a wicked grin.

“Excuse me, but I’m here with some food for Dr. Collins. I also need to examine her, so I’ll need everyone to leave.” I’ve never been happier to have a nurse. The team started to file out, but not before I heard Alice quip rather loudly:

“I’m sure Steve wouldn’t mind examining her, especially with his good eye.” Bucky busted up laughing as both Steve and I turned as red his shield. He grabbed his best friend and shoved him out the door before shooting me a smile and shutting the door behind him.

#

I was thankful that Wanda had brought some of my clothes down with her when the team came to visit. I had on my favorite pair of yoga pants, my S.H.I.E.L.D shirt, my house shoes, and what suspiciously looked like one of Steve’s hoodies as I rode the elevator up to the residential floors. I walked out after the doors opened, and was almost past the kitchen/living room when I was spotted.

“He-hey! Look who’s home!” Sam called out as he jumped over the back of the couch, coming to hug me again. The rest of the team all followed suit, Bucky, and Steve hugging me as well. Steve lingered, holding me in his arms just a little bit longer. I realized that he was hugging me with joy, since I was home, in relief that I was safe, and in gratitude for saving him.

“Alright, I think she’s been through enough,” Bruce cut in, separating Steve and I. “Evie, I found some gamma research that I think you’ll be interested in.” I glanced at Steve quickly before nodding at Bruce.

“Yeah, that does sound interesting. Let’s go down to the lab and check it out.” I followed him, flashing a sad smile at Steve as the elevator doors shut.

The next couple of weeks went by kinda slow. I was still healing from my injuries, ‘cause not all of us are super soldiers. Bruce was suddenly a mother hen, not wanting to let me do much of anything. As a medical doctor myself, I knew my limitations and contraindications, so it got old really fast. He meant well, of course, but I was irritated nevertheless.

Things with Steve though, were  _different_ , to say the least. While we were both certain that we had feelings for each other, I didn’t want to act on them until I was completely healed. I was certain that Steve wasn’t going to be gentle with me, and I’d hate to get blood all over the place.

That didn’t stop Bucky and Alice from messing with us, especially Alice. I’ve never wanted to slap someone so much before. Her smirk was on constant display, and she adopted an ‘I told you so’ attitude, which irritated me even more.

One day, she, Bucky, Steve and I were sitting in the movie room, watching Titanic, when the ‘draw me like one of your french girls’  scene came on. I glanced over at Steve, who was already watching me.

“Hey Steve,” Bucky called from where he was sitting underneath Alice’s legs. “Instead of giving Evie bedroom eyes, why don’t you take her into your room and uh…draw her like a french girl!” He and Alice broke into laughter as Steve and I blushed.

“Because I’d like to do more than just draw her,” Steve growled, fixing me with a dark stare. I grinned back at him, shaking my head.

“I know, but unfortunately, extracurricular activities are strictly off limits until I’m completely healed. Sorry,” I shrugged. “Doctor’s orders.” Bucky and Alice laughed more at the putout look on Steve’s face.

“Why are you sitting apart for?” she asked. “It’s not like you two have germs ya know.” I looked over at her, pursing my lips.

“Because he’s smart enough to know that if we go near each other, my stitches are going to be popped open, and neither one of us feels like cleaning up blood.” Steve took a deep breath and released it, no doubt thinking about what we could be doing to pop open stitches. He stood quickly, looking incredibly uncomfortable.

“And on that note, I’ve gotta go. An ice cold shower is calling my name right about now.” He came over, grabbing my hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it before leaving the room.

“I bloody told you so,” she teased. I rolled my eyes at her and sighed.

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever.” She grinned smugly before turning back to the movie. I wasn’t into it as much, so I went to my room. Part of me felt like joining Steve in his cold shower but decided against it. It’d be defeating the purpose of a cold shower if I did.

Two weeks after I was shot, I went to visit Helen to see if I was good to go. After she declared me healed, I went out and celebrated my newfound freedom and grabbed some incredibly unhealthy food. I need junk food in the worst way. After I was done, I returned to the Tower, ready to find Steve. He and Bucky, along with Alice, were in the gym, working off some stress it looked like.

“Hey Steve,” I called out, loving the way his face lit up when he saw me. “Guess what?” He put the weights down and jogged over to me, quirking an eyebrow when he saw my drink from Burger King.

“What’s up? Where did you get that?” he asked. I smirked up at him.

“Oh, I went out and got it. Ya know, after Helen gave me a clean bill of health and lifted all of my restrictions,” I answered simply. His hands were on me in an instant, picking me up and carrying me to the elevator. “In a hurry much?” I joked as we rose. He looked at me, his grin infectious.

“Of course I am. We have a lot of talking that we need to get out of the way before our conversation can start.” I furrowed my brow as I went over his words in my head.

Oh…

The elevator opened and we stepped out, heading to his room. Sam came out of his, running into us and causing me to slip from Steve’s arms. He looked at us, breaking into a knowing smirk.

“Helen cleared you huh?” he asked me. Steve wrapped his arms around my waist, squeezing me tight.

“Gee Sam, how on earth did you guess?” I snarked back at him, smiling.

Suddenly, F.R.I.D.A.Y came over the intercom, calling the team to another meeting.

Are you fucking kidding me?!

“Wait for me in my room. After this meeting, we’ll have that conversation,” he whispered in my ear, his voice full of promise. I nodded as he let me go, my stomach erupting in butterflies at what was to come. I wanted to dress up a little nicer since I was going to be alone with Steve. I went to my room and pulled on some leggings, a flowy top, and applied just a teeny bit of makeup. When I was satisfied, I went to Steve’s room and sat on his bed, grabbing his sketchbook and flipping through it. There were sketches of the team, both all together and singular members. There were quite a few of the New York skyline and the Brooklyn bridge and damn, this man is fucking talented.

I turned another page and was surprised to find my face staring back. I flipped through more pages and I found more drawings of me in various poses. I looked down at the corners and the dates go back a year or more. Holy cow…has Steve really liked me all along? Have I really been that blind? Suddenly, the door opened and Steve walked in, clearly upset. He walked into his closet, throwing his duffel bag out onto the floor.

“Is everything ok?” I asked timidly, not wanting to upset him any further. He walked out with some clothes and packed them in the bag before picking it up and tossing it on the bed next to me. He huffed before glancing down at me, the sketchbook on my lap.

“No. There’s another mission, and I’ve been selected for it, which means that we’ll have to put our conversation on hold again,” he pouted.

“Oh.” I looked down at the book, running my hands over the cover. He chuckled before sitting next to me and grabbing it from my hands.

“I’m guessing you saw all of them? They were going to be part of the conversation too,” he sighed ruefully.

“I didn’t look at all of them. I only saw the newest ones. Why would they be part of our…discussion?” I inquired, to which he opened the book back up and turned to a sketch of me, in my bikini. He showed a few more, each one getting more and more risqué. “Wow. Uh, those are awfully naughty, Steve.” He chuckled darkly, before bringing his lips to mine.

I could spend all day kissing him. His lips were absolutely sinful. I felt his arms snake around me and pull me onto his lap. His tongue swiped across my lower lip in a silent bid for entry, to which I gladly obliged. I’d taste his tongue for all eternity if I could. I felt my panties dampen due to the continued friction on my clit from the bulge in his pants.  I stopped, thinking back to a conversation we had had ages ago before I hurriedly straddled his thigh and unashamedly ground against him.

_Oh my god. This is absolutely divine how amazing this feels._

“Jesus Evie, you’re so fuckin’ warm,” Steve moaned. His hands went to hold my hips, not moving but guiding me, letting me use him to find my release. He groaned, whether in pleasure or agony I wasn’t sure, but it spurred me on as I went faster. I felt his erection against me, so I snaked my hand down inside his pants to rub in time with my thrusts. “Oh fuck, Evie don’t stop.” His head fell back as I felt him throbbing in my hand. I was almost at my end, so I rubbed myself against him harder, and the increase in pressure tipped me over the edge.

“Fuck,” I drew the word out as I came, thoroughly soaking my panties and his leg. I buried my face in the side of his neck, coming down from my high as I continued to stroke him. Finally, he came, his hands clenching my sides hard enough that I knew there would be marks later. I felt his come spurt over my hand, which only added to my satisfaction.

“Fuckin’ hell, Evie,” he panted. I sat back up then, pulling my hand out of his pants. “If that’s what thigh riding is all about, baby you can use me anytime you want.” I smiled, looking down at our laps.

“Guess we made a bit of a mess huh?” I squeaked. He chuckled darkly, leaning forward to kiss me again. “Was that good for you?” I asked quietly. He swept more hair from my face and grinned.

“Are you kidding me? That was mind-blowingly good,” he all but shouted. “It was even better than I imagined, all because it was with you.” I felt my face burn with embarrassment.

“Yo, Steve-o, wheels up in five,” Bucky called out as he opened the door. “Oh. Uh, sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt. Carry on, but make it snappy.” I pulled away slightly, pressing my forehead against Steve’s. I stayed that way until I caught my breath.

“Can you give us a minute, Barnes?” I grumbled crossly. He shut the door and I got up, walking to the bathroom to clean myself off. Once I was done, I went back into Steve’s room, where he was currently pulling on a new pair of jeans. “Those look great on you, but they’d look even better on my floor.” He smirked at me, walking over to give me another kiss.

“Trust me, that’s exactly what’s gonna happen when I get back,” he growled, his eyes full of promise. I hugged him before leaving so he could finish packing, walking into the living area to say goodbye to whoever else was leaving. Scott, Sam, and Clint were there, waiting for Steve and Bucky, who were trudging down the hallway. Alice was there too, grabbing onto Bucky and holding him in a death grip as if she was able to keep him from leaving.

 “Gentlemen, good luck and be careful,” I wished them. They loaded up in the elevator as Steve reached them. “Oh, and please make sure Steven doesn’t do anything particularly reckless and/or stupid.” Bucky was finally able to join them after he had pried himself from Alice’s arms. She came up to stand next to me to wave goodbye as he joined in with the rest of the guys’ laughter before Steve spoke out.

“Hey, no one calls me Steven except my mother,” he chastised. I smirked at him before crossing my arms over my chest.

“Well, then I must be channeling her spirit, cause I just did.” His jaw dropped while Bucky and Sam had to hold each other up due to them laughing so hard. “Oh, and Barnes?” I asked. Bucky stopped laughing and stood up straight, nodding for me to go on. “I’ll keep yours safe if you keep mine safe,” I said, gesturing towards Alice and Steve in turn. His eyes grew big as he caught my meaning before he nodded. Alice and I waved as the doors shut, but not before I was able to blow Steve a kiss.


	7. Chapter 7

**Steve’s P.O.V.**

It’s only been a week, and Evie is still on my mind. I sat on the bed, thinking about her lips and how they felt against mine. I groaned internally when I remembered how soft her hand felt as it wrapped around my dick while she came on my thigh.

Everything changed a few weeks ago when Nat accidentally outed Evie. I couldn’t believe my luck, that the one woman that has made my soul come alive for the first time in 70 years, actually returned my feelings. Yeah, a part of me will always love Peggy, but Evie is just…so much more.

I looked over at Bucky. The time we’ve been on the mission, he’s not been himself. Quieter than usual, distant. I was kinda worried. I walked over and knocked his shoulder with mine.

“You okay Buck?” He looked at me, worry and fear evident in his eyes.

“Alice.” I quirked an eyebrow at him. He huffed before explaining. “It’s our first time apart since…” Ah. That explains it.

“Gotcha. She’s not alone ya know.” He shot me a disbelieving look as he snorted. “Don’t look at me like that. You know Evie will keep her out of trouble. Or at least try to.” He turned to look at me straight on.

“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of. Those two could be dangerous together. We don’t come home in a decent amount of time, and you know those two idiots will mount their own search and rescue party, getting themselves hurt in the process.”

Shit.

“You’ve got a point there. Especially now after what’s happened with me and Evie.” I exhaled loudly. “Well, that’s just more motivation to get this mission done so we can go back home to our women.” We shared a grim smile before there was a knock on the door as Scott and Sam came in with food. Clint, Simon, Buck and I surrounded the table, grabbing what we could to throw on our plates.

“Geez Wilson, did you get lost? We were almost skin and bone before you got here,” Buck teased. Sam flipped him off before fixing his own plate. We all dug in and sat in silence, too hungry to waste time talking. When we were finally full, we all sat back, miserable. 

“I’m thinking of growing a beard. What do you guys think?” Scott asked suddenly. We all looked around in surprise before weighing in.

“Why’d ya wanna do that?” Sam asked, Bucky nodding in agreement. Scott shrugged before blushing the teeniest bit.

“Well, Hope likes them, so I thought I’d try it out.” Buck chuckled before looking over at me.

“Evie likes beards too. She’s into that ‘lumberjack look’. You know,” he went on, “beards, plaid shirts, chopping wood for a fire, being all rugged. Yeah, she’s nuts for it.” I was a bit shocked by that. Clint nudged Bucky with his elbow.

“How do you know that?” Clint asked.

“Oh, I heard her, Alice, Wanda, Pepper, Natalia, and Maria talking about it during one of their ‘ladies night’ things.” He pulled out his phone and started to type ‘lumberjack looks’ into the search engine. “Here. Take a look.” I grabbed the phone and began to scroll. These men were decked out in plaid shirts, impressive beards, and had tattoos galore. How could I compete with them?

“There’s this actor that Evie was fawning over. It’s Chris something. Hemsworth? Pine? Pratt? I can’t think of it.” Buck took his phone back, typing in the search engine again. “She pulled up his picture to show the girls and she was fanning herself. ‘Oh my god. He is so dreamy. Look at that beard!’” He did a poor impression of Evie before going “Aha! It’s Chris Evans. Fucking hell, Steve. He could pass as your twin!”

We all crowded around the phone, looking at the actor on the screen. “Yeah Cap, he could be your twin, if you could grow a beard as nice as that,” Clint mused. He did look an awful lot like me, except his hair was much darker than mine and he had tattoos. Evie likes this?

“Yeah, Steve couldn’t grow anything that majestic.” Sam agreed with Clint. I was a little upset that they didn’t think I could do it.

“Thanks, guys. I’m a bit offended that you don’t have faith in me. To prove a point, I’m not shaving for the rest of this mission.” I got up and walked to my bag, grabbing the razor and cream before stopping. “Let’s make this interesting. I dare you guys to grow one too. $100 says you guys can’t grow one better than me.” They all looked at each other before nodding. “And, when we get back, we let the girls vote. We won’t tell them that it’s a bet, and after they pick the winner, we pay him. Sound good? Shake on it if it does.” We all shook hands before throwing out our shaving supplies.

“Barnes, I think, no I  _know_ , that I’ll be able to grow one better than yours,” Simon bragged. Bucky stared him down, his mouth set in a snarl.

Ah crap, here we go. 

When we were heading out on this mission, Simon and Maggie happened to show up at the Tower. Simon was eager to go out and ‘hang with us blokes’, so we let him come along, seeing as it wouldn’t hurt to have another set of eyes and ears. Bucky and he still don’t see eye to eye, so while having Simon’s help has been nice, they tend to butt heads every so often. 

“$100 in a side bet that I kick your ass at growing a beard, Travers,” Buck snapped, holding his left hand out to shake. Simon shook, before a look of pain came over his face as Bucky squeezed with more force than necessary.

“You’re on,” he agreed, trying not to show how much his hand hurt when they let go. 

This was going to be interesting. Oh well, the things you do for the one you love.

                                                   ********************

**Evie’s P.O.V.**

It’s now been three weeks since the guys left for their mission, and I haven’t heard from Steve once. Since I was consistently in the Tower 99% of the time, I was the designated contact for the team. But there was nothing but radio silence. None of the guys had called, and I was getting worried. Nat kept trying to calm me down, but until I heard from them, I just couldn’t.

Didn’t help that Alice was doing everything she could to distract herself so I couldn’t go to her with our shared anguish.

#

Five weeks have gone by, and still no word from the guys. I’d taken to sleeping in Steve’s room in the last week. It helped me somewhat relax, being surrounded by his things and the scent that was all Steve. I was curled up in his bed, almost asleep when my phone rang. Steve’s face popped up on the caller ID, so I hurriedly answered it.

“Steve? Is that you?” I mumbled sleepily.

“Yeah, it is.” Oh, thank god he’s alright.

“Are you all ok? We’ve been getting so worried since we haven’t heard from you at all.” I could hear people talking in the background, and suddenly I was on edge. Was he safe?

“We’re fine. We ran into a bit of trouble and long story short, we had to go underground for a bit. I’m sorry, baby.” The affection packed into that one word made my heart sing. “We finished our mission, but we’re having trouble coming home. We’re staying at a safe house until we get a go ahead.” I heard Bucky talking to him, and I caught the word girlfriend, which made me smile.

“Well, at least you’re safe. That’s all that matters to me. I just wish you were here instead of wherever there is. I…I miss you,” I admitted. I heard him suck in a breath before replying.

“I miss you too. Wish I was laying in bed with you right now. Sharing a bed with Bucky the past few weeks has sucked,” Steve laughed, earning a big ‘Fuck you, Rogers’ from his best friend. “Tell Alice that I’m keeping her man warm for her,” he added, Bucky shouting something indistinct in the background. I giggled before I told him where I was.

“I’m actually in your bed right now. I’ve been sleeping here for the past week. Could really use some warmth right about now, though.” I was actually kinda cold, so it wasn’t a complete lie. He whistled before I heard ‘fuck me’ come out of his mouth. “Trust me, I’ve been looking forward to doing just that when you get home,” I threatened. I heard Bucky cackling in the background, so the look on Steve’s face must have been a sight to see.

“Just you wait, Evie. Just you wait.” His voice was husky, full of promise of all the things to come.

“Whatever you say, Captain. So, do you think you’ll be home in time for Stark’s charity ball? I was hoping to have a date,” I said matter-of-factly. He chuckled before sighing.

“I hope so. I’d love to be able to walk in with the most beautiful woman in the world on my arm.” Fucking sweet talker. I yawned before I could think up a comeback.

“I’m keeping you up huh? We’re all fine so you can go back to bed. Sorry for waking you. Get some sleep, ok baby?” I smiled before yawning again.

“Flattery will get you everywhere, Captain Rogers. I am going to go back to sleep though. Night Steve. Love you.” Whoops. That was not supposed to come out of my mouth. I hoped he hadn’t heard it, but that was unlikely.

“Love you too baby. Night. Keep my bed warm for me ok?” Just before the call disconnected, I heard Sam, Scott, Clint, and Bucky all go ‘OooooOooooh!’ to which Steve replied, “Go to hell”. I laughed before sending out a group text to the members who were still here:

_ROGERS, BARNES, LANG, BARTON, AND WILSON ARE ALL SAFE AND ACCOUNTED FOR. CURRENTLY IN SAFE HOUSE UNTIL SAFE PASSAGE HOME IS OBTAINED. MISSION COMPLETED._


	8. Chapter 8

**Evie’s P.O.V**

I opened my eyes and sighed. Still no Steve. They left two and a half months ago, and have yet to come home. I’ve spoken to Steve maybe four times since they made it to their safe house, but that was five weeks ago.

I rolled out of bed and jumped in the shower. After I was done, I pulled on some jeans, one of Steve’s Under Armor shirts, and his hoodie and went to find breakfast. Nat, Alice, and Wanda were sitting at the bar, makeup and hair products piled up everywhere.

“Geez. Think you have enough stuff to get ready for tonight?” I asked them, walking to the pantry and pulling out some cereal.

“This isn’t just for us. We’re going to help you get ready too,” Wanda clarified. I finished pouring the cereal before putting the box away and grabbing the milk.

“Sounds good. I can’t do my makeup for shit so I’m glad you’re going to help.”

”Yeah I can’t do makeup either, so I’m glad we’re all doing it together,” Alice commented. I dug into my cereal and looked at the different piles. They had everything sorted into eyeshadows, mascaras, eyeliners, blush, and so on. I pulled out an eyeshadow palette and pointed at the shimmery midnight blue color.

“That’s the exact color of my dress.” The three of them looked at each other and grinned conspiratorially. I knew nothing good would come from this.

“That’s interesting. It matches Steve’s…tactical suit,” Alice mused. They shared another look that made me want to slap them all. “We’re just messing with you, Evie. You and Steve are a sweet couple. Well, you will be, once he gets home.” She looked sad, and I squeezed her shoulder.

I know she was missing Bucky something fierce. “They’ll be home soon, Alice. Or we’ll just have to mount a rescue party and go collect them ourselves.” She smiled! Mission accomplished. I put my empty bowl in the sink and walked around the counter. “So what are you thinking for me? My shoes are blue, but you won’t be able to see them when I have the dress on.”

They looked at each other for a minute, before pulling out a chair and ordering me to sit. I did as instructed, pulling my hair out of the messy bun I had it in. They walked around me, studying my face and hair.

“What does the dress look like?” Wanda asked. I pulled up the pictures I had taken on my phone and showed them. They nodded in unison. “That’s actually really gorgeous. Nice job, Evie.” They started looking at everything they had before Nat looked over her shoulder at me.

“What are you wearing underneath?” She smirked and gave herself away.

“Ok, what’s going on? Why does it matter what I’ve got on under my dress?” Nat rounded on me, smiling fondly.

“Because the guys are trying their damnedest to get home in time for the ball.” I felt my jaw drop.  

“Really? Steve could come home tonight?” I asked, astonished. The girls exchanged looks before turning back to the table.

“Possibly. Bucky called me last night and told me that there was a possible way home coming up, but they weren’t sure if they were going to make it,” Alice explained. She reached out and grabbed my hand. “He said that if they weren’t home by noon today, then they missed their chance.” We stared at each other for a bit, understanding that our guys could be gone for even longer, and the thought was almost too much to bear.

“Oh,” was all I was able to squeak. Nat squeezed my shoulder sympathetically.

“But, on the off chance that they are able to come home, you need to be ready.” I shot her a quizzical look. “I’m pretty sure that if he does make it home tonight, Steve’s not going to let anything come between you two. So, what would you wear in that event?” I thought about it for a moment before chuckling.

“Well, I’d have to pull out the big guns then.” Wanda snorted before turning to me.

“The big guns? What are those?” I smiled before laughing.

“I’d have to show you. Words don’t do them justice.” I jumped off the chair and ran to my room. I rooted around in my underwear drawer before finding what I was looking for. I trotted back out into the kitchen and show them to the girls.

“Bravo Evie. Steve would love that,” Alice whistled.

“Oh wow. Yeah, He’d be in for a real treat,” Natasha complemented. I smiled smugly to myself before we all began to get to work figuring out how we were going to look for the night.

#

I was waiting for Wanda, Alice and Nat to meet me in the living room when Tony and Rhodey walked in, looking absolutely dapper in their suits. “Wow, look at you two ladykillers. Pepper’s gonna have her hands full fighting women off of you, Tony.” He smirked before gesturing at me.

“C’mon, let’s see it,” he instructed, making a twirling motion with his hand. I obliged, spinning around slowly so they could see every angle. Rhodey started clapping.

“You wanna talk about killing it? Look at you. You look absolutely stunning,” he complimented before hugging me. Bruce walked up then, enveloping me in a hug as well.

“You look amazing Evie.” I hugged him back before releasing him.

“Thanks, Bruce. You don’t look half bad yourself.” He had shaved (finally) and looked absolutely dashing. Vision, Wanda, Nat, and Thor walked up, and we took turns showing off how we looked. “What the hell is taking Alice so long?” I whined. Tony put his arm around my shoulders and steered me towards the elevator.

“I’m sure she’ll join us up at the party. Come on, let’s take a selfie before we go.” I huffed before we all got around Tony and took a picture. We then climbed into the elevator and heading to the mezzanine for the ball. When the doors opened, we all stepped out and began to mingle.

I grabbed a drink from the bar before spotting Skye and Jemma across the room. I hurried over and we all squealed with excitement as we began to catch up. Maria joined us and we all stood and watched people dance. Suddenly, something cold and metal ran up my spine and I shivered, spinning around to find the culprit.

“James Buchanan Barnes! Why do you constantly have to irritate me?” I scolded, slapping his flesh arm. He laughed before pulling Alice in for a kiss. “Wait, what are you doing here? Alice said if you guys weren’t here by noon, then you weren’t coming home for a while.” I looked at the both of them, noticing the Grinchy smile that crossed his face.

[Originally posted by magicofxmas](https://tmblr.co/ZHJfWf2EK9FVe)

 “That was bullshit, wasn’t it?” I shook my head. “Nice beard by the way. Makes you look  _way_  older.” He grinned at Alice before elbowing me.

“It’s my job to irritate you,” he joked. I laughed as Sam, Clint and Scott walked up, along with another man and his date. “And no, it wasn’t bullshit. I surprised Alice too. We were just too busy to tell you.” I flipped the two of them off. “So you like it?” he asked, scratching his chin. “It took a while to grow it, but it’s there.” Alice ran her fingers through it before he rubbed his face against hers.

“Sod off Buck!”  she groaned, trying to pull away. He finally stopped, her face red where he had rubbed against her. 

“Ya, his may be there, but mine is better,” the newcomer bragged, his girlfriend pulling him in for a kiss. I went to ask who he was but stopped. He did have quite the beard, fuller than Bucky’s. 

I glanced back at the guys and noticed that Sam looked the same as before, but Clint and Scott both had more hair on their faces. Clint’s was more of a goatee, but Scott’s beard was…impressive.

  


“Jesus Lang. How the hell did you manage to grow that beast?” I exclaimed, stepping forward to run my fingers through it. “Is Hope here? Has she seen it yet?” Oh man. Not only was his beard full and thick, it was oh so soft.

“Nah. Steve bet us all $100 that we couldn’t grow a beard better than he could. I am proud to say that I finally did something better than Captain America, and I am now $500 richer.” I suddenly realized that I was still petting Scott’s beard. I pulled my hands back, sheepishly looking around at everyone as they laughed.

“Yeah, just wait until she gets a load of Steve’s. She’s gonna lose it,” Clint noted. The guys all laughed. I looked at them in disbelief. There’s no way…is there?

“Steve grew one too? Like actually grew a beard?” I asked, my heart racing. Bucky nodded before leaning in and whispering:

“Why listen to us, when you can take a look for yourself?”

                                                   ********************

**Steve’s P.O.V**

I was nervous for some reason. I haven’t been to a charity ball before, but knowing that Evie was there, waiting for me, was enough to get me through.

The quinjet had landed on the roof hours ago. Bucky and I had come up with the idea of making Alice and Evie think that we weren’t coming home today, so when we made it in, after all, I went to Sam’s and stayed with him, opting to get ready there in case Evie decided to hang out in my room. Buck couldn’t wait any longer, so he went to reunite with Alice. I made him swear to keep her quiet because I wanted to surprise Evie still. We also told the rest of the team so they could help us keep her distracted.

Once we got a text from Tony saying that they were headed upstairs with Evie, we all finished getting ready before getting in the elevator and heading up. The doors opened and we got out, separating. I slowly made my way to the bar, stopping here and there, talking with guests. I was finally able to get a drink and I stood at the bar, looking around for Evie. Finally, I spotted her on the other side of the room, surrounded by the rest of the guys.

My god was she beautiful. No, there wasn’t enough words to describe how she looked. I honestly couldn’t think straight with how incredible she was. Her hair was pulled up, away from her face, showing off the graceful arch of her neck. Her dress, which was gorgeous on its own, paled in comparison to her beauty.

She reached up and as she began stroking Lang’s beard, a simmering rage burned through me. I knew I had no reason to be jealous of Lang, or of any other man for that matter, but seeing her lovingly caressing another man’s face still had me in a tizzy. She suddenly pulled her hands away and there was laughter. Buck happened to look over and catch my eye before leaning in and whispering in her ear.

                                                       ******************

**Evie’s P.O.V**

I turned around and there he was. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of him. He had grown a beard, and it was fantastic. He was wearing a suit that matched my dress, no doubt thanks to divine intervention. 

He walked over, and it’s like time was slowing down. Steve eventually reached us, and everything was right with the world.

                                                  ******************

**Steve’s P.O.V**

I reached her, and nothing else mattered anymore. She smiled at me and suddenly, there was no one else in the room. I grabbed her hand and led her outside to the balcony. We stood at the railing, looking over the city lights, my arms bracketing hers. We stayed that way for god knows how long, relishing each other’s presence. ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’ was playing over the speakers, and it brought me back to our first date when we danced to it. I smiled at the memory, realizing that I truly could not help falling in love with her.

After a while, she turned in my arms, lacing her hands around my neck. “Hi.” She began to run her fingers through my beard. “This is new. Are you going to keep it?” I chuckled, pleased that she liked it.

“I don’t know. Captain America doesn’t have a beard.” She looked up at me, batting her eyes.

“But Steve Rogers can,” she argued. “It’s really up to you, I guess.” She pouted slightly, her lips catching in a slight smile to show she was teasing me. I slipped a finger under her chin and pulled her face up.

“It’s grown on me, no pun intended.” She giggled at that, and it was one of the best sounds I’ve ever heard. “It beats having to shave every day, and if you really like it, I’ll keep it,” I answered her. She smiled again, and I couldn’t stand it any longer before crashing my lips to hers. I pulled her flush against me, my arms snaking around her waist. Her hands wound into my hair, tugging it gently.

Our hands began to wander, exploring each other. One of my legs came to rest between hers, as one of hers came between mine. We slowly began to rut against each other, our kisses becoming more and more frantic until finally, her hands came to rest on the button of my pants.

We broke apart, gasping for breath. Once we settled down, we locked eyes and straightened up, an unspoken agreement that we needed to get behind closed doors before we went any further. I grabbed her by the hand again, leading her through the crowd toward the elevator.  


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER IS EXPLICIT!!!! 18 AND OVER PLEASE!!!!

Steve and I waited impatiently for the elevator. When it finally got here, Steve ushered me in first, hitting the button for our floor as he followed.

As soon as the door shut, he was on me, backing me up against the wall. We resumed our kissing from the balcony, instead this time he lifted me up, pushing my dress to my hips and allowing my legs to ensnare his waist. I felt him rub his hands on my thighs, pausing to gaze up at me.

“Garters? Lace-topped stockings? You’re just asking for it, aren’t you?” he growled. I smirked as I grabbed his lapel and brought him back for a kiss. My hands began to roam over his body, reveling in being able to finally touch him. I felt one of his hands go around to grab my ass, while the other skimmed down over the patch of lace I was using as underwear. “Oh, my. So wet already,” he purred, running his fingers over my damp panties. My head fell back as Steve pushed the lace aside and began to rub his fingers over my clit.

“Ohhhhh fuck. Steve that feels so good,” I mewled. He sped up, his fingers almost vibrating. “Oh my god Steve,” I moaned as he stopped his assault on my clit suddenly and slowly slid a finger inside me. 

“Yeah. You like that, baby?” He whispered in my ear, curling his finger forward and grazing that special spot. He inserted another finger, scissoring them inside me, stretching me. “Such a tight little pussy. Gotta open you up so I can fit again.”

Jesus, hearing Steve talk dirty is such a fucking turn-on. My eyes rolled back as he began to use his thumb against my clit along with the fingers inside me, coaxing more slick from me. My legs started to shake as my orgasm approached, and I was thankful he was holding me up. A litany of “yes, yes, yes,” fell from my mouth as my orgasm washed over me, my mouth forming an O in a silent scream. Steve held me as I came down from my high, my head lolling onto his shoulder.

“Mmmm. So sweet,” he murmured, sticking his fingers in his mouth and sucking my release from them. “Can’t wait to taste more.” I pulled back, gasping for breath, and looked at him. The grin on his face was absolutely sinister like he was the Big Bad Wolf, and he finally gets to eat Little Red Riding Hood. 

His eyes are no longer the bright blue I’d come to adore but were instead almost black with lust. I couldn’t wait any longer.

“Steve, I need you. Right here, right now.” I went to grab his waistband, but he pulled me tight against his chest, grabbing both of my wrists in one hand. The elevator had two more floors to go before we were home. He shook his head.

“Uh, uh, uh. Good things come to those who wait.”  _Oh, you gotta be kidding me right now._  The doors finally opened, and Steve stepped out, carrying me straight to his room. I struggled against him, trying to pull my hands away so I could touch him. “Tsk, tsk Evie. No need to rush. We have all night this time, and a big, soft bed,” he pointed out, kicking his door shut behind him.

A feeling akin to stage fright suddenly came over me.  _Holy shit, we’re actually going to do this,_  I thought to myself as Steve laid me on his bed. He then began to disrobe, removing each item of clothing painstakingly slow. He laid his suit jacket over the back of his desk chair, followed by his bow tie, then his dress shirt. Steve paused as he reached his waistband, making sure I was watching as he popped the button and dropped his pants, pulling off his socks and shoes as well. I sat up on my knees, reaching for the band of his boxer briefs but he stepped out of reach.

“Not yet, baby. Aren’t you feeling a little overdressed?” He asked, nodding at my dress. I smiled before climbing off the bed, pushing him down in my place. I toed off my heels, then grabbed the zipper on the side of my dress and pulled it down, letting it pool around my ankles. I heard Steve’s breath catch in his throat as he caught sight of my lingerie in its entirety.

“Captain America  _can_  be rendered speechless. Good to know,” I noted, reaching behind my back to unclasp my bra and throwing it at him. I then placed my right foot on the bed before unclipping the stocking and sliding it down my leg, deliberately as slow as possible. He reached for me, desire intent in his eyes, but I stepped back quickly. “Ah, ah, ah. Remember, patience is a virtue,” I chastised as I shook my finger at him. 

He growled in defiance before leaning back. I smirked cockily as I repeated the process with my left leg before moving to remove the garter belt. Steve sat up and tried to grab my hand to pull me to him, but I swatted him away. “No-no. If you rip this, I will kick your ass,” I threatened. He held his hands up in surrender as I finished undressing.

I climbed back onto the bed, straddling his lap and running my hands over every bit of skin I could reach. His eyes raked over my naked form, drinking in every curve, before crashing his lips against mine. I felt his tongue on my lips, and I opened, giving him access. His hands were everywhere at once, grabbing and squeezing everything he touched. I could feel his length rub against my core, begging for attention. I pushed him onto his back and made my way down his body, kissing and licking a path to his waistband. Steve lifted his hips, allowing me to pull off his last item of clothing, revealing the biggest and most incredible dick I’ve ever seen. Now I remembered why he wanted to open me up.

“Wow. The serum really enhanced everything,” I murmured to myself as I began to lick up and down the sides of his cock, swirling my tongue around the swollen head.

“Not everything,” came his breathless reply. I stopped my ministrations and stared up in shock.  _Holy fuck._  He glanced down, a half smile on his face. “That part’s pretty much the same as it was before.”  _Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!_  I blinked a few times before going back to work. I took him into my mouth, relaxing my throat to take as much as I could, using my hands to cover what didn’t fit. I began to bob up and down on his length, Steve’s head falling back against his pillow. 

“Oh god, Evie. Yeah, just like that,” he moaned, fisting the sheets. I hummed around him, and suddenly I was on my back, Steve settled between my legs. “I can’t wait any longer. I gotta taste you,” he growled before licking from my hole to my clit.

“Oh fuck,” I gasped as he sucked on my oversensitive bundle of nerves. He was like a starving man in front of a buffet, and he didn’t stop until I came for the second time.

“Are you ready, sweetheart?” He asked, crawling up my body, his tip pushing against my slit. I nodded before kissing him, tasting myself on his tongue. He slowly slid into me, at home again. We relished in the feeling of being connected so intimately once more before we began to move in unison.

I met him, thrust for thrust, our rhythm getting faster and faster. Steve leaned back, and the change in position had him hitting that one special spot over and over again. “Evie, are you close? I don’t want to come without you,” he grunted, hips beginning to falter. I nodded, the tightening in my lower belly getting stronger.

“Yes, Steve. Right there, right there!” I cried out over and over as he slammed into me, our orgasms finally crashing over us in harmony. I dug my nails into his arms, my pussy clenching around him as he painted my walls with his release. We stayed like that, bodies connected, for what seemed like an eternity, before he slowly pulled out and laid on his side, pulling me to his chest.

“Wow. Just wow,” Steve sighed contentedly. I giggled before leaning up to kiss him.

“Don’t know about you, but that was worth the wait for me,” I panted. Damn, am I outta shape? I sat up and took note of the good kind of hurt I was feeling before going into the bathroom to get a drink. I came back and laid in bed next to him, blushing as he drank in the sight of me.

“It was worth it to me too, baby.” Steve leaned in and kissed me softly, his arm wrapping around my waist to hold me close. I could feel him begin to harden again the longer we kissed before he was pushing me to my back. “Do you think you can go for round two, Evie?” he murmured, reaching down to slowly circle my clit. My eyes rolled back of their own accord as I nodded, aligning him with my entrance.

He slid in slowly, giving my body a chance to adjust to him again. When he was fully ensheathed, he waited, relishing in the feeling of being inside me, before he began to thrust gently, making sure we felt every drag of skin against skin. He watched my face for any sign of pain or discomfort, capturing my lips in a tender kiss as he continued, his pace remaining slow and steady. 

I could feel his cock deep inside me, touching spots that no other man had been able to touch. Another orgasm was beginning to build inside me, and I could tell he felt it too as he pulled back and looked into my eyes.

“I love you so much Evie,” he swore as his movements began to get harder and faster. He buried his face in the side of my neck and started to kiss wherever he could reach. My orgasm was getting closer and closer until he found the sensitive spot under my ear and I came suddenly, him following soon after.

“I love you too Steve,” I breathed as he slid out me entirely. He went into the bathroom and came back with a warm, wet washcloth and cleaned up our fluids off my body and his bed before throwing it back in his bathroom. He covered us up with his blankets as he climbed back into bed. We kissed again before dozing off, me wrapped in his arms and our legs intertwined.

Throughout the night, we would wake up and make love over and over, ‘I love you’ the only words spoken. For the first time, I had the worst night’s sleep, but it was the best night of my life.


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning, I woke up in Steve’s arms. I stretched my whole body, soreness from the previous night evident in every move. I raised my head to check the time, and I felt a strong pair of arms tighten around me. I smiled as I rolled over, snuggling into his chest.

“Mornin’,” he said, his voice thick with sleep. He kissed my lips softly, pushing me to my back as he hovered over me. His lips began to wander, making their way to my jaw and down my neck. I could feel him harden against my leg, a combination of morning and arousal, and my body throbbed.

“Whoa. Easy, big boy,” I cautioned, grabbing his chin and pulling him up from my chest. He chuckled before kissing the spot under my ear.

“Somethin’ wrong, baby?” he drawled, rubbing his beard just over the tops of my breasts. I knew what he was doing, but my body needed a break.

“Yes, actually.” He looked up at me in surprise, clearly not expecting that response. “Two things. One; I am sore and need a break. Two; we need to discuss where this is going.” He sighed before rolling off me, my jaw dropping. “Really? So, that’s all you’re wanting from me then? We’re clearly not on the same page.” I made to get up when he pulled me to his chest.

“No that’s not all I’m wanting from you, Evie.” He paused, reaching up to brush a few wayward strands of hair from my face before placing a kiss to the tip of my nose. “Evie, I’ve been in love with you for a few years now. At first, I tried my best to ignore how I felt.  Then, everything with S.H.I.E.L.D, Ultron, and then Bucky happened, so I thought maybe some distance would help me get over you. Hooking up in your Jeep those couple times definitely didn't help.” He chuckled a bit while he pursed his lips.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” I interjected, curiosity overwhelming me.

“I’ve lost so many people in the past. I didn’t want to lose you either.” His face suddenly darkened, his thoughts turning sour. “We came back from Wakanda, and it was like I’d never left. Then, after I had asked you out to dinner and you said you had a boyfriend, my heart broke. I realized that I  _did_  lose you, and it was all my fault.” I remembered that day. Everyone was anxious enough already, what with Bucky coming to live in the Tower with Tony. I thought Steve was just tired from his workout. Boy, was I wrong.

“He didn’t mean anything to me. He was a massive douchebag. To be honest, you could have kissed me and I would’ve left him like that,” I explained, snapping my fingers to show how quickly I meant. He laughed humorlessly before going on.

“Well, after that, I started spending every moment I could with Bucky. Either trying to keep him and Tony apart, or helping him acclimate to life in the 21st century. I felt that not seeing you happy with him was better than seeing you at all. But Bucky has Alice, and that was when I decided that maybe meeting other women would help me too.” I groaned as I remembered the first time he brought a date to the Tower.

“God I remember seeing you with the first girl. I was so jealous of her. I mean, she got to spend the night with you.” He snorted as he started laughing. “What’s so funny?” He caught his breath enough to tell me.

“She didn’t spend the night with me. A couple girls did, but the rest of them didn’t. Not all of them were bedroom material. They saw me as too old-fashioned, so they left early. The ones who stayed took serious offense to the fact that I insisted on using a condom.” I raised an eyebrow at him, trying to figure out what that had to do with anything. “They saw me as a meal ticket.” Ah.

“Wow. What a bunch of bitches.” I sat up and turned to face him. “Did Nat not screen these girls for you?” He nodded before sitting up as well.

“She did, but it’s not like she’s a mind reader. Besides, that’s why we got to go on our date; one of them didn’t show up.” I nodded in agreement before climbing out of bed and going to his dresser. “Oh, speaking of condoms, I really hope you don’t mind me using them. Last night was great, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried.” I pulled one of his shirts over my head and grabbed a pair of underwear to put on as I turned to face him.

“I’ve got us covered for last night. I’ve been on the pill for five years now, but if you’d feel better using them, be my guest. Won’t bother me to have a little extra protection.” I walked over and stood next to the bed, reaching out to put my arms around him as he squeezed me tightly.

“I just wish I had said something sooner. We could’ve had all this time together,” he lamented, face squished against my chest. I sighed at where we would be.

“I’ve had a thing for you for a while too, Steve, so this isn’t just on you. Dating that dickhead was the final straw in trying to get over you, but it didn’t work out with him. Too controlling and he didn’t like the way I thought for myself. I was actually happy when he dumped me.” I felt him laugh as I pulled away and walked to the door. “I’m going to go take a shower and get dressed in my room. I’ll see you after I’m done, yeah?” He nodded solemnly. “Love you, Steve,” I called over my shoulder. I heard a ‘Love you too, Evie’ before I shut the door behind me.

“You know, I was right. Steve’s clothes do look a lot better on you than on him,” Bucky called out, startling me. I turned to face him, punching him in the chest.

“Don’t do that, jackass,” I admonished as I shoved past. He laughed as he walked me to my door.

“So, is it safe to assume that you and Steve are a thing now? I heard that bed of his creaking an awful lot last night,” he teased, smirking at the blush that crept over my face.

“Shut up Barnes.” I began to open my door but stopped. “It wasn’t making that much noise, was it?” I asked, not able to meet his eyes.

“Yeah, it was. To be honest, I’m surprised it’s not broken yet,” he answered, amusement evident in his tone. “Alice and I have broken a few beds already, first one the night we moved into the Tower,” he bragged.

“Well, it’s not from lack of trying,” I replied. Bucky shook his head at me and chuckled.

“Did you keep count? ‘Cause I did.” I looked at him then, disbelief all over my face. “Eight times and that was  _after_  we had come upstairs. No telling how many times went down before then.” I giggled, trying and failing, to keep the smug smile off my face.

“Sergeant Barnes, there were four additional times that Captain Rogers and Doctor Collins copulated before you came upstairs, making for a grand total of 12 times. Captain Rogers attempted number 13 this morning, but Doctor Collins turned him down, citing soreness as the main factor,” F.R.I.D.A.Y suddenly announced. I hid my face in my hands as Bucky howled in delight.

“That is incredible. Sore huh? You’re lucky you don’t have any broken bones!” He dissolved into more laughter, prompting me to flee into my room and slam the door in his face.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y, why did you feel the need to inform Sergeant Barnes about my and Captain Rogers’ personal activities? Why are you even aware of what we were doing?” I groaned in frustration at the ceiling. I could still hear Bucky laughing as he shut a door, effectively muting him.

“Sorry Doctor Collins, but Tony has me watching everyone in the Tower to ensure everyone’s safety. As you and Sergeant Barnes were discussing your amorous activities with Captain Rogers, I assumed you would be alright with me informing him of the total. I will not do that again though unless you ask me to.” I sighed again before walking to my dresser. As I was gathering clean clothes, I heard Steve yell:

“F.R.I.D.A.Y!”


	11. Chapter 11

Once Evie and I announced to everyone that we were together, there was a collective ‘yes’ followed by money being exchanged. Apparently, there was a betting pool on when we’d finally get together. I was shocked at first, but after it wore off, I couldn’t have cared less. I finally had Evie as my girl.

Bucky really seemed to take our total for our first night together as a joke. He was constantly ribbing on me for it. “Only 12 times? Geez, you must be gettin’ old” or “Man, you must be havin’ problems gettin’ it up if you could only go 12 rounds!” He tried pulling that with Evie, but she slapped him in the face. After that, he only joked with me when she wasn’t around.

Alice, on the other hand, was the absolute smuggest I’ve ever seen her. She apparently never bothered to get in on the bets.

“Why bet money when I already knew the outcome?” she had said matter-of-factly. Evie and I just shook our heads and went on with our day. “Oh, and I bloody told you so!” 

#

One day, after Buck and I had come back from a run, I walked into Evie’s room and saw that she had an ice pack held over her eye.

“What happened, baby?” I asked, coming to sit next to her. She smiled at me while removing the ice pack, revealing the brilliant black eye underneath. I was stunned; how in the hell did she get that?

“Nat was roughhousing with Clint and Scott and she went to punch Lang, but accidentally got me. It’s not a big deal, honest,” she explained.

“Not a big deal? Yes, it is. You could have been seriously injured! She could’ve broken your nose!” Oh, I was gonna have a talk with Romanoff after this. Evie patted my arm in an attempt to placate me, but I shook her off.

“Steve, it was an accident. Really. Please don’t make a big deal out of this.” She stood up and went to block her door to keep me from leaving.

“Evie, move. I need to talk to Natasha about this.” I went to grab the doorknob but she jumped in front of it.

“So, that’s your plan? Talk to her about it? You gonna talk to everyone who could potentially hurt me, whether it’s on accident or on purpose, and tell them to leave me alone?” She had her hands on her hips, glaring up at me.

“No, that’s no-”

“You gonna tell yourself that? Hmm? Cause you can hurt me too.” I stopped short then. She’s right. “Steve, I’ll be alright. It was an accident. Scott let me punch him since he was the intended target, so we’re even.” She wrapped her arms around my waist. “Please don’t get worked up about this.” I glanced down at her and hugged her back.

“Ok. I won’t. I’m gonna go take a shower ok?” She nodded before releasing me.

“Mind if I join you?” She purred, waggling her eyebrows at me.

“No, it’s ok. But, we can take a bubble bath together later if you want,” I offered. She nodded before blowing me a kiss as I left her room. I ran to mine and started the shower, grabbing some clean clothes while the water warmed up. When it was ready, I jumped in and was out in record time. After I got dressed, I went up to Tony’s office, knocking on his door as I entered. He was on the phone with Pepper, a look of surprise on his face as he turned to see who his guest was.

“Sounds good. Look Pep, Cap’s here. Looks like he wants to talk. I’ll talk to you later. Love you more.” He set his phone down before walking over to make himself a drink. “Want anything?” I shook my head as I rubbed the back of my neck. “What’s eating you, Cap? Can’t help if you don’t talk,” he quipped as he waited on me. I chuckled before looking up at him.

“Have you seen Evie’s face?” I started. Tony smiled as he strolled over to the holoscreen and began to type something in.

“Yeah, I have. Looks bad, but have you seen Lang’s face?” I shook my head, not really caring how Scott looked. “F.R.I.D.A.Y. can you pull up the video from earlier?” Tony motioned for me to come over while it loaded. I saw Evie holding her face while Clint and Scott stood back in shock and Natasha came into frame holding an ice pack. There was a bit of a discussion between Lang and Romanoff before she looked at Evie. Evie nodded before Scott stepped up to her. I got to watch my 5’4”, 140 lb. girlfriend cock her arm back and sock Lang in the face, effectively knocking him out. I laughed at first before my thoughts took a dark path.

“Tony, what happens if the next time that happens to her, it’s not a friendly?” He shot me a ‘give me a break’ look.

“Steve,” he said, gesturing at the screen. “I think she can take care of herself.” I rolled my eyes at him.

“Yeah, against Lang, who was expecting it. He’s not that big a deal. What if next time, she goes up against Loki or Ultron?” Tony shot me a worried look.

“How do I keep her safe, Tony?” When I was met with silence, I elaborated. “How do you keep Pepper safe?”

“I think you mean ‘How do I deal with the fact that Pepper is constantly in danger because she’s with me?’” I froze, before nodding. “It’s not easy, but I manage.”

“How?” He smirked at me like he had already told me the answer.

“The team.” What?

“How does the team help you manage your fear of Pepper getting hurt?” This was starting to irritate me. Tony always seems to joke around with everything.

“Because at any given moment, something could happen to Pepper, but I put my faith in the team that they won’t let that happen.” Tony clapped a hand on my shoulder while looking me in the eye. “Deep down, I even trust Barnes enough to know that he will do everything he can to keep her safe.” I nodded, taking in everything he was saying.

“That’s incredible Tony. Really, that’s great. Bucky will like to hear that.” He flashed a grim smile at me.

“Now, you need to put your faith in us and trust that we will keep Evie safe. We know how much she means to you, so we’ll do everything we can to keep her out of harm’s way.” I gripped his shoulder as he continued to hold mine. “We’ve got her, Steve. We’re not letting anything happen to her.” I felt a weight lift off of my shoulders. I didn’t have to do this alone; the team would help keep her safe. That’s all that matters to me anymore; her safety.

“Thanks, Tony. That really means a lot to me.” I let him go and shook his hand. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a girlfriend to go see. I promised her a bubble bath.” I turned to leave when he spoke out.

“You know, there’s always the option of retirement. What better way to keep her safe than to disappear with her where no one can find you? Just something to think about. See ya, Capsicle.”

Retirement? That was a new concept. As I made my way to the elevator, I tried to envision Evie and I living out our days together in peace. Us sitting on the front porch, wedding bands on our fingers, her body round with my child. I hadn’t thought about it before, but I almost sank to my knees with the intense desire for the image in my head. For the first time in lmost 80 years, I finally had the chance to have the family I always wanted, and there was no way in hell I was going to let it slip through my fingers again.


	12. Worth It

It was Steve’s birthday, and of course Tony just  _had_  to throw him a party, which was a wonderful idea, as it would be our first party as a couple.

I was nervous to say the least.

When you’re the girlfriend of Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, there’s suddenly a lot of focus on you and whether or not you’re ‘good enough’ for him.

According to the masses, it would appear that I am not.

When Steve and I walked in together, I was so excited to be celebrating his birthday with him, but now? All I want to do is curl up in my bed and cry.

From the moment I walked away from Steve to get a drink, I’ve been told in various ways that people could not understand how he could possibly be happy with someone like me. Which was actually a polite way of saying that I was nothing like  _her_.

Peggy. Fuckin’. Carter.

Not to be rude but, that bitch is dead.

I am acutely aware that I’m nothing like her. I’ve dealt with that knowledge since I met Steve. The way he would tell stories about her and the look he’d get after visiting her in the nursing home was proof that he’d never be over her.

I was up on the roof now. After someone had come right out and said ‘You’re nothing like Peggy. What’s he doing with you?’, I had had enough and left the party. That was ages ago, and no one had come and found me yet. Steve probably didn’t even know I was gone.

“There you are,” Steve’s voice rang out from behind me, startling me. I glanced over my shoulder at him, and as I watched him walk to me, I realized that all those people were right.

I’m so inconsequential and there’s nothing special about me, so what on earth does he even see in me?

“Ya know,” he started as he sat next to me and pressing a kiss to my temple. “It’s kinda hard to celebrate my birthday with my amazing girlfriend when she disappears.” I snorted, rolling my eyes at his attempt at flattery.

“Yeah, okay. Just curious, but how long did it take you to even realize I wasn’t there?” I snapped, shaking his arm off. He frowned as I stood and walked to the railing and leaned against it.

“To be honest, no until about an hour ago,” he replied sheepishly as he joined me. “Why are you up here anyway? The party’s downstairs.” Big whoop.

“You seemed to be enjoying yourself, so why ruin it?” I countered. He sucked in a breath before turning me towards him.

“How could you possibly ruin anything for me?” I knew it was a rhetorical question, but I couldn’t help but answer.

“By not being Peggy.” The impact of those words was obvious. His mouth dropped open but no sound was coming out as his whole body froze. I shot him a pitiful look before going on. “All night long, I’ve been told told, in a myriad of ways, that I’m nothing like her and because of that, they don’t understand how you could possibly be happy with me and that you will eventually realize this and dump me.” I stopped to catch my breath and keep the tears from falling down my face.

“People have told you that?” Steve muttered, horrified. I nodded, not trusting my voice. “You believed them?” I nodded again and he grew exasperated. “Why?!” I shrugged at him.

“Why not? They’re right.” Before he had a chance to say anything, the door banged open, revealing Sam.

“Finally. Did you two sneak up here for a, what did you used to call it Steve? A ‘late night fondue’?” he teased. The resulting blush on Steve’s face was priceless and so worth seeing in person.

“No Sam, we didn’t. I was already up here when he found me,” I answered.

“Why were you up here?” he asked, shocked.

“Don’t worry about it,” I replied, waving the question aside. “Let’s go back downstairs.” I followed Sam through the door, Steve appearing behind me after a beat.

“Don’t let those idiots get to you, babe,” Steve assured me as he linked his fingers with mine. I rolled my eyes but remained silent as we got in the elevator and returned to the common room. Once we arrived, we got out and everyone stopped and let loose a sigh of relief.

“There you are!” Bruce  exclaimed as he hugged me. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you.” I huffed as he released me.

“You could’ve just asked F.R.I.D.A.Y. She knew where I was,” I shot back. Everyone groaned, as they had apparently forgotten about her. “Why were y’all looking for me anyway?” Steve put his arm around my shoulders and steered me toward the couches.

“Because, as I am the birthday boy, I wanted to celebrate with you, but you were nowhere to be found,” he explained as everyone began to sit down around us. I rolled my eyes again before glancing behind me to make sure my seat was clear. I saw Tony’s best attempt at creating his own Mjolnir sitting in my way, so without missing a beat I picked it up and held it out to him.

“Tony, you should probably quit leaving your toys everywhere. I know you own the place, but we’re not your maids,” I chastised. Everyone was staring at me in shock, except for Thor. He had the biggest smile on his face as he stared at the toy in my hand. “What?” I asked, a little perturbed. Tony stood, walking to the bar and pulling out the demolished remains of  _his_  hammer, his classic smirk on display. Slowly, my brain put two and two together as I came to realize that I was in fact holding  _the_  Mjolnir.

Oh. My. Freaking. God.

I CAN WIELD MJOLNIR!

I felt my jaw drop, but I wasn’t able to make a sound. Steve grinned down at me as he took it from my hand to give it to Thor.

“See? Even Mjolnir knows that you’re worthy.” I couldn’t help but smile back at him as his words registered.

“Yeah, not everyone can lift it,” Tony whined. “So far, its Thor, obviously, Vision, Cap, Barnes, and now you.” I swelled with pride.

“So, out of the 7 billion people on this planet, I’m one of five that can wield Mjolnir?” I asked with glee. Thor walked to me, his grin growing as he held his beloved hammer out, to which I didn’t hesitate in grabbing it again. “That is awesome!” I squealed as I tossed it from hand to hand. It was much lighter than I thought it would be, but still weighty enough that I knew I could hurt someone with it.

“Lady Evelyn, Mjolnir has chosen a worthy ally in yourself! Drinks all around!” Thor bellowed. I handed it back to him as he and Tony went to get drinks for everyone.

“Alice, doll, come on. Just because someone said something bad about another teammate doesn’t give you the right to go off on that person in front of the entire party!” Bucky was chastising Alice as they walked in from the hallway.

“Oh whatever. I’m sure Evie wouldn’t mind, especially since that person told her, _to her face,_  that she was nothing like Peggy and that Steve should just dump her,” Alice argued as they made their way to us. “Evie is ten times the woman Carter ever was, and if anyone says differently, I’ll chuck them off the roof.” I smiled at her, happy to hear that someone else thought I was good enough for Steve.

“Really Alice? Why thank you.” She looked over, not realizing that I had heard her.

“Winters, there’s no need for that,” Tony piped up then. “Evie is able to lift Mjolnir, so she knows that she’s worthy enough for Steve, ‘cause he can lift it too.” Bucky and Alice both stared at me for a bit before Bucky walked over and hugged me, lifting me off the floor.

“Aha! See? You can lift the hammer, which is something that Carter wasn’t able to do, so  all those naysayers can suck it!” Alice cried, clapping her hands in glee.

As Bucky released me, I finally felt at peace that I was good enough for Steve. I mean, if Mjolnir thinks I’m worth it, then surely I must be.


	13. Chapter 13

**Steve’s POV**

I stepped out of my shower and got dressed before leaving my room and going to Evie’s, wanting to start my day off by seeing her beautiful face. I knocked on her door and heard her grumble.

“Fuck off.” Oh. Well maybe someone else bothered her. I opened the door and walked in anyway, sitting next to her on the bed. “I said fuck-oh. Hi Steve.” Evie pulled her head out from under her pillow when she saw that it was me.

“What’s wrong, have a rough night, baby?” I asked her, noting the dark circles under her eyes. She groaned, sitting up.

“The fucking tests aren’t working like they’re supposed to. I’ve been pulling all-nighters here lately and I’m nowhere close to finding a cure for Bruce,” she moaned as tears started to well up and fall down her face. “I feel like a failure.” She started to cry in earnest, shoulders shuddering as she hid her face in her hands. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight, letting her get it all out.

“Evie, it’ll be alright. Bruce has been working on a cure for years now with no success, so don’t let a few bumps get you down,” I reasoned. “You’re only a failure if you give up.” I hugged her until she was done, before letting her go as she climbed onto my lap.

“Thank you.” She kissed me deeply before pulling away. “How about you and I spend the whole day in here watching movies and you can help me clear my head,” she asked, rubbing herself against me to show her meaning. I chuckled before grabbing her hips to stop her actions before I got too hard and didn’t want to leave.

“As amazing as that sounds, I’m actually going out with Alice today,” I answered timidly. Her face went from flirty to downright frigid in less than a second.

This was going to end badly.

“You’re going out with Alice?” she sneered. “You’re gonna pass up on having sex with the love of your life all day so you can go out with your best friend’s girlfriend? Is that what I’m hearing?” She looked so shocked and upset that I almost changed my mind.

Almost.

“Sorry babe. She wants to take me clothes shopping ‘cause she doesn’t feel like I dress ‘hot enough’ for you,” I explained. “And she wants to go Christmas shopping for you and Bucky before it gets too late.” Evie stared at me, mouth agape, for a bit before climbing off my lap and walking to her closet. “Babe?” She walked back out, wearing only my favorite pair of panties. I groaned as she turned in place, showing them off.

“Just so you know, this is what you’re missing out on today. Have fun with MY best friend,” she snapped before walking into her bathroom, slamming the door.

I hung my head and sighed as I got up and left her room, heading down to Buck and Alice’s. I knocked, hearing a muffled “Hold on!” followed by a few giggles.

Eww. Catholic rabbits have nothing on them. I turned and walked down to the living room to wait for my best friend to finish devouring his girlfriend. A few minutes later, Alice came out, a slight blush on her face.

“Sorry Steve,” she said, breathless. “Bucky just wanted to tell me goodbye.” She grabbed a bottle of water before walking over to me.

“Yeah, well, better than what Evie told me,” I lamented. She quirked an eyebrow at me in response. “She’s in a bad mood and I made it worse by turning down her offer of ‘all-day sex’ to go shopping with you.” Alice cringed.

“We can do this another time-” she started before I cut her off.

“No, staying home will make it worse I think. Maybe she’ll be able to get some sleep and feel better by the time we get back.” We got in the elevator and descended to the parking garage, where I opened the door to my new truck for Alice before going around to the driver side and getting in. We left the garage and headed downtown.

**Bucky’s POV**

After Steve and Alice had left, I went down to the exercise room to get in a quick workout before I would head back up to hang with Evie. Even though she and Steve have known each other for years, I’m still kinda on the fence about her. So, since Alice and Steve are hanging out today, I was going to spend the day hanging with her and get to know her better.

I flew through my workout, seeing as how I already had my blood flowing from my ‘wake up’ from Alice.

God, I love that woman.

I set everything back the way it was for the next person and left, thoughts of what to talk to Evie about propelling me forward. As the elevator opened up on the residential floor, I stepped out, seeing Evie already watching tv, and boy did she look pissed.

Hmmm. Let’s spice things up, shall we?

I walked over and flopped down next to her, making sure to have my legs land across her lap. She took a deep breath before growling at me. Literally.

“Buchanan, get your fucking feet off me. I’m not in the mood.” Of all the names, that’s the one she uses. I’ve noticed that ‘Buchanan’ only comes out of her mouth when she’s mad though, so this shouldn’t have been a surprise. I snorted at her.

“What? I just wanna watch tv,” I replied innocently, snatching the remote from her hand and changing the channel to some sports game. I saw her turn toward me out of the corner of my eye, and when I looked at her full on, her face said it all. If looks could kill, I’d be dead since the fall from the train.

“I WAS WATCHING THAT!” she snarled.

“Yeah, and now we’re watching this,” I replied, smiling. I loved to push her buttons. It’s so much fun. She went to grab the remote but I held it out of her reach. She pursed her lips before sliding her hand up under my gym shorts and digging her well-manicured nails into the flesh on my inner thigh, causing me to gasp.

“Change the channel back, or I’m drawing blood,” she threatened, flexing her fingers. I’ll have to admit, it kinda hurt.

“No, you won’t,” I shot back, calling her bluff. She smirked before digging her nails in deeper and dragging them down my leg, leaving red marks in her wake.

Sweet Jesus.

“Give me the remote, or your balls are next,” she demanded, holding her other hand out. The sting from her nails was gone, thanks to the serum, so I sat up straight, holding the remote high above her head.

“Alice will kill you if you touch me there,” I warned. She smirked again before reaching up, trying to grab it from my hand.

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take. Now give me the fuckin’ remote or I’m gonna kick your ass!” 

She grabbed the top of my thigh to give her leverage to stretch up further, but after she followed through on her threat to scratch my leg, I didn’t like where her hand was.

“You’re gonna kick my ass? Yeah, okay. You and what army?” I taunted, leaning back so she couldn’t get the remote. This resulted in her upper body pressing up against mine, bringing us nose to nose.

“Me and  _this_  army,” she said sweetly before headbutting me.

Man, does she fight dirty or what?!

I groaned in pain as she finally managed to grab the remote, pulling it from my hand. She stood from the couch triumphantly before changing the channel back to what she was watching. Luckily, she hadn’t broken my nose so I was quickly on my feet, towering over her.

“Don’t think I’ll go easy on you just because you’re Steve’s girl,” I threatened. She laughed.

“Bitch, I don’t need him to protect me. I can kick your ass all by myself,” she spat, poking my chest. I smirked down at her.

“You know, Steve and Alice are going to be madder than hell when they get back and see how much we’ve been fighting,” I reasoned, trying to get her to back down. She raised an eyebrow at me, shifting her weight to pop her hip out.

“So?”

“So, your boyfriend is Captain America. Aren’t you afraid of what he’s gonna say or do when he sees us fighting?” I pressed, gauging her reaction. She scoffed.

“Sorry, but no. My boyfriend is Steve Rogers, not Cap. He was born Steve and he’s going to die Steve. He’s only Cap when he puts the suit on and picks up the shield.” I was in awe. She truly sees him as Steve, how I’ve always seen him. I grinned widely at her before snatching the remote back.

“Thank you. We’ll be switching to educational programming now.” I changed it back and she shook her head at me.

“You’d know all about  _programming_ , wouldn’t you?” she taunted. My jaw dropped in shock as I was speechless for once.

“You’ve got me there. That was a good one, I’ll give you that.” I was impressed. Even Steve knows not to bring that up, but he’s Steve. He and Alice are the only people who can rag on me about that, even though I know they wouldn’t. Evie is quickly showing me just how suited she is for Steve.

“Oh, did that hurt your feelings?” she mocked in a baby voice. “Do something about it then.” She puffed up her chest and threw her arms out to the side, an invitation if I’ve ever seen one.

“Alright. Remember, you asked for this,” I shot back, tossing the remote onto the entertainment center. “The first one to reach the remote picks the channel.” She grinned evilly, nodding.

“Sounds good. I’m going to win, just so you know, but between now and then, I’m gonna fuck you up.” I grinned back at her as we squared up to fight.

**Steve’s POV**

“Alice, come on. This isn’t funny anymore,” I groaned. Why on earth did I want her help in picking out Evie’s engagement ring?

“Hey, you asked for my help, now do you want it or not?” she shot back. I sighed in resignation before nodding.

“Yeah, yeah.” I walked over to another case and pointed at the three stone rings. “Well…how about-”

“No.” She walked by with her nose in the air. I followed behind her, glancing at the gemstone rings she was in front of.

“But what-” I started before she cut me off again.

“No Steven.” I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to relieve the headache I had as she started to ramble on about what she thought was ‘good enough’ for Evie. I ran my hands through my hair for the umpteenth time before looking at the case that I was leaning against.

It was filled with solitaire rings that just screamed ‘Evie’ at me. I began looking through all of them before a certain one caught my eye. It had a gold band with just the one diamond on top. All I could do was stare at it and I was actually able to envision it on Evie’s finger. Alice stomped over, miffed that I was ignoring her, her mood changing once she saw the ring.

“Yeah,” was all she said. I grabbed her hand and held it up.

“Ma’am, can she try it on so I can see how it’s gonna look on my girl?” I asked the sales lady that was hovering nearby. She came over and unlocked the case, pulling out the ring and handing it to me. I looked down at it awkwardly, realizing that I’d have to put it on Alice, making it weirder.

“Give it here,” Alice sighed, grabbing it from me and sliding it onto her finger. I looked down and saw that it was perfect. Wasn’t too big or small, sparkled just right. “Steve it’s perfect. Evie is going to love it.” I smiled, glad that I had finally found the best ring for Evie. Alice gave the ring back to the sales lady and we followed her over to the counter to finish the sale.

“Ahh, I feel so much better now!” I exclaimed as we walked out of the shop a few minutes later. “Just have to wait for the ring to be sized and then it’ll be ready.” Alice squeezed my arm, smiling widely.

“I’ll say,” she agreed. “Wonder how Bucky and Evie are getting along.” I smiled, thinking about my best friend and my girlfriend bonding.

“They’re probably having the best day ever,” I answered, grinning down at her.

**Bucky’s POV**

I was starting to regret picking a fight with Evie. She’s playing dirty for this little squabble, so I can only imagine how she’d be in a real fight.

I was currently holding her at arm’s length with my metal arm, my palm pushing back on her forehead. She continued to swing her arms at me, trying to connect. Suddenly, I was falling forward, landing on my front. Evie had her arms and legs wrapped around my arm, and I realized that she had put all her weight around it on purpose.

Sneaky little thing.

She scrambled around, trying to disentangle herself when I yanked her toward me, pinning her arms down while I sat on her legs.

“You almost had me there,  _ _Evelyn__ ,” I teased, using her full name. She grinned before headbutting me again, causing me to fall over as I held my face. She stood, making her way to the entertainment center before I was up again, throwing my arms around her in a bear hug. She struggled for a bit before I switched her to my left arm and reached for the remote with my right. “Come to daddy,” I said to it. Evie, thinking fast, pushed her feet against the table to force us back before I had a chance to even touch it.

The next few moments went by so quickly, it was hard to believe they even happened.

In a series of moves that completely and utterly impressed me, Evie brought her right foot up and slammed it down on my instep with all her might, making me cry out. She then swung her left hand behind her, connecting with my junk so hard that I saw stars. I relaxed my hold on her to defend myself and she took her chance.

Evie, my best friend’s cute little doctor girlfriend, who is half a foot shorter and about 100 pounds lighter than me, planted both of her feet, grabbed my right arm and yanked me over her shoulder, dumping me on the floor.

“Who’s your daddy now, bitch?” she sassed, stepping around me and heading to the remote. 

What the  _fuck_  just happened?!

I blinked a few times before reaching out and grabbing her ankle, pulling it so she fell to the floor. I grabbed hold of the other one to keep her from getting back up and pulled her toward me. She looked back at me, fury clear on her face. “Don’t make me kick you.” I grinned, knowing that looking like I was having fun would only piss her off more.

“Why? You afraid of Alice? Or are you afraid of what I’ll do to you?” I taunted.

Big mistake.

Evie jerked her foot forward, catching my throat. I released her at once, trying to catch my breath. I figured that she would change the channel back to her show, but when she plopped down on my waist, I knew I was in trouble.

“You really think I’m scared of you?” she asked in disbelief. “You must think very highly of yourself if so, James  _Buchanan_  Barnes. How many times have I kicked your ass today?” She smirked down at me, chuckling darkly.

I’m starting to see why Steve likes her so much.

She took advantage of my temporary lack of attention and began to punch me, repeatedly and anywhere she could reach. For as tiny as she is, she has a good punch.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Steve yelled. We both looked up and saw him and Alice standing there, staring at us in shock. Looks like their shopping trip is over. Evie and I stood up, feeling ashamed.

“She started it!” I shouted as I pointed, throwing her under the bus. She looked at me and I swear steam was coming from her ears.

“Ladies don’t start fights, but you can be damn sure I’ll finish this one!” she snarled, lunging for me. Steve ran over and threw his arm around her middle, pulling her back.

“I don’t care who started it, ‘cause I’m finishing it!” he snapped, squeezing her tightly to stop her flailing. “Come on babe, let’s go to your room so you can cool off.” He led her down the hallway, leaving Alice and me there alone.

“What on earth are you playing at?!” she shouted, throwing her hands up for emphasis. I couldn’t stop grinning, so I scooped her up and ran to our room. Once I shut the door I set her down, vibrating with joy.

“She’s perfect, Alice!” I squealed. She gaped at me for a second before rolling her eyes.

“I KNOW! I’ve been saying it forever!” she replied, shaking her head. “Is that what this was all about? Was that your ‘test’ for her? To make sure she’s good enough for Steve?” I nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes, and she is! She’s more than enough for Steve. Honestly, I think she’s too good for Steve,” I answered. “But, she makes him happy and he makes her happy. She has my blessing.” Alice smiled, hugging me. “So, how did ‘shopping’ go?”

“Oh, it went great,” she declared. “He found the perfect one for Evie. I know she’d like whatever ring he got her, but I know she’ll love this one.” I nodded, grinning.

“Good. Now, I know you’d never go for Steve, but I have to admit that I’ve been a little jealous that he got to spend the day looking for engagement rings with you,” I confessed. I kissed her deeply, leaning down and picking her up, her legs going around my waist. I walked to the bed and laid her down, crawling over top of her. “How about I show you just how much I missed you?” I whispered in her ear. I felt her hand sneak its way down into my gym shorts, showing that she was on board with my idea.

#

**Evie’s POV**

I woke up, noting how bright it was in my room. I felt great after my nap, but I figured it’d be closer to nighttime. I got out of bed and jumped in the shower, getting dressed before heading to the kitchen. Bucky, Alice, and Steve were sitting in the common room, talking about some mission they had gone on a while back. I locked eyes with Bucky, who smirked at me.

“Well good morning, sunshine! Ready for round two?” he called to me as I walked over and sat down next to Steve.

“Buck, knock it off. She just woke up for crying out loud,” Steve chastised before I had a chance to say anything.

“Once I get some food in my system, I will be,” I countered, ignoring Steve.

“No, there will be no round two of any kind,” Steve snapped. “Buck, isn’t there something you need to say to Evie?” he stressed. Bucky sighed before walking over and sitting next to me, grabbing my hands in his.

“Evie,” he started seriously. “I want to apologize for how I acted yesterday-”

“Wait, yesterday? Have I been asleep for a whole day?” I cut in suddenly.

“Almost a whole day. You’re about three hours shy,” Steve explained. I nodded before turning back to Bucky.

“Go ahead, Bucky. Sorry.” He shrugged before taking a deep breath.

“So, like I was saying, I knew you were in a bad mood and I went and bothered you anyway. While I can’t promise I won’t bother you again, I will say that I won’t do it while you’re already upset. Do you forgive me?” Bucky smiled at me, batting those cerulean eyes.

“I’ll forgive you if you admit that I kicked your ass,” I replied. He snorted, shaking his head.

“As much as I hate to admit it, yeah you did kick my ass. Oh, Steve, she likes to headbutt,” Bucky warned. Steve and Alice shared a look before turning to him.

“What do you mean ‘she likes to headbutt’?” Steve asked, baffled. Bucky and I grinned at each other, remembering our fight.

“Stevie, I think it’s better if I show you what I mean. F.R.I.D.A.Y, can you play the footage from yesterday of Evie and I fighting?” he asked out loud to the ceiling.

“Of course Sergeant Barnes,” she agreed. The tv screen came on with the image of me sitting on the couch. Bucky came into the screen as he flopped onto the couch as well, his sweaty legs across my lap.

 _“Buchanan, get your fucking feet off me. I’m not in the mood.”_ I remember how mad I was when he put his nasty legs on me.

_“What? I just wanna watch tv.”_

_“I WAS WATCHING THAT!”_

_“Yeah, and now we’re watching this.”_ I saw Alice tense up as she watched me slide my hand up under his gym shorts.

_“Change the channel back, or I’m drawing blood.”_

_“No, you won’t.”_ I smirked to myself as the Evie on screen scratched Bucky’s leg.

“ _Give me the remote, or your balls are next.”_

_“Alice will kill you if you touch me there.”_

_“That’s a risk I’m willing to take. Now give me the fuckin’ remote or I’m gonna kick your ass!”_

_“You’re gonna kick my ass? Yeah okay. You and what army?”_

_“Me and_ this _army.”_ Ah. There’s the headbutt.

_“Don’t think I’ll go easy on you just because you’re Steve’s girl.”_

_“Bitch, I don’t need him to protect me. I can kick your ass all by myself.”_

_“You know, Steve and Alice are going to be madder than hell when they get back and see how much we’ve been fighting.”_

_“So?”_

_“So, your boyfriend is Captain America. Aren’t you afraid of what he’s gonna say or do when he sees us fighting?”_

_“Sorry, but no. My boyfriend is Steve Rogers, not Cap. He was born Steve and he’s going to die Steve. He’s only Cap when he puts the suit on and picks up the shield.”_

_“Thank you. We’ll be switching to educational programming now.”_

_“You’d know all about_ programming _, wouldn’t you?”_  I felt bad about that little jibe, to be honest. Alice and Steve didn’t look too impressed.

“Seriously Evie? You went there?” Steve cried out.

“Hey, as you clearly saw, I told him that I wasn’t in the mood, so he brought it on himself,” I shot back.

“Steve, she’s right. She warned me and I didn’t listen. Besides, I know she didn’t mean it. She was stressed out and exhausted. That does shit to people. I’m not mad,” Bucky butted in, coming to my defense.

“Alright, alright. Let’s get back to watching this,” Steve conceded, gesturing back to the screen. We all sat back, but I could feel Alice’s eyes on me, boring holes into my skull.

 _“Sounds good. I’m going to win just so you know, but between now and then, I’m gonna fuck you up.”_ I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The Evie on the screen was throwing punches left and right and when she couldn’t use her hands, she used her feet to kick out at Bucky. Finally, he had gotten smart and held me at arm’s length. I remembered throwing all of my weight on his arm and bringing us to the ground, something he wasn’t expecting.

 _“You almost had me there,_ Evelyn.” God, I hate it when people use my full name. Oh, another headbutt. He’s right, I do like doing that.  _“Come to daddy.”_

I watched with bated breath as the Evie on the screen brought her foot up and slammed it down on his, then swung her hand behind her, hitting him in the crotch before grabbing his arm and yanking him over her shoulder and onto the floor.

 _“Who’s your daddy now, bitch?”_  Steve burst out laughing along with Alice.

“Oh my god! That’s fuckin’ great!” he cheered, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

“I’m so proud of you Evie!” Alice joined in. “You’ve been practicing those moves I taught you!”

I suddenly felt like Bashful the dwarf. “Well, thank you.”

“I see that you went for his nuts. Good move, but seriously, I need those attached, so hands off!” I nodded, not wanting to get that close to Bucky’s nuts again.

“Deal.” We finished watching the footage and I felt smug. “Bucky, does it bother you that I was able to whoop your ass?” I turned to him, gauging his reaction. He smiled, throwing his arm around my shoulders.

“No Evie, it doesn’t. It actually shows me that you are definitely good enough for Steve. You have the Bucky Barnes Seal of Approval!” I stared at him, open-jawed.

“What do you mean, ‘good enough’? Was this some sort of test or something?” I squeaked indignantly. When he nodded, I felt my heart sink. “So, that was all a test? What, you didn’t think I was good enough for him until I beat your ass?”

“Not the fighting, although that did help quite a bit. It’s what you said about Steve, how he’s not Cap unless he wears the suit or carries the shield. You see him the way I’ve always seen him, as Steve. He’s not a great man because he’s Captain America. No. Hell no. Captain America is a great man because he’s Steve.” Bucky grinned widely at me, and I understood why he kept saying all those things yesterday. I returned his smile.

“He’ll always be Steve to me. Even when I’m old and gray, he’ll still be Steve,” I replied. He brought me in for a hug, the knowledge that he approved of me made me ecstatic.

“Now that we know that you two are perfect for each other, I really just need to brag for a moment,” Alice said suddenly. We all looked to her and we couldn’t help but share her infectious grin. “I knew you two belonged together and I helped train Evie to take down a super soldier. You’re welcome.” We all shared a laugh before my stomach grumbled loudly.

“Let’s go grab a bite to eat,” I offered. The other three murmured their agreement as we stood up and headed for the elevator.


	14. Jersey Boys

All’s fair in love and war, right?

The boys wanted us to get closer, and what better way for two women to bond than for them to pull a few harmless pranks on their men?

There was no downside to all of this…right?

#

The prank war (to end all prank wars), was going well. Alice had recently dyed Steve’s hair blue, making it look like he had rubbed a Smurf on his head. He was,  _irritated_ , to say the least. While I didn’t think we were going to single out each other’s man to prank him, I was suddenly on the prowl to get Bucky.

One day, after he and Steve had gotten in an incredibly strenuous workout, I finally got my chance to prank Bucky. He had passed out on one of the couches in the common room, his shiny metal arm on display.

I grabbed my supplies and set up camp on the floor next to the couch, grabbing a bottle of water and some snacks since I was going to be here a while, and got to work.

I was finally done with my art. I stood up, stretching as I had been in the same hunched over position for quite some time, and I was pretty sore. I surveyed my work one last time, before cleaning everything up and fleeing the scene. I went to find Alice but stopped when I heard a certain super soldier yell in anger.

“WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO MY ARM?!” I grinned to myself as I hid in my room. I got on the computer, to make it look like I had been here all along. “EVIE!” I flinched as my door swung open, colliding with the wall. Bucky was there, seething. I looked up at him.

“What did I do?” I asked, innocently. He bared his teeth at me as he shoved his left arm in my face.

“THIS. This is what you did,” he snarled, the light from my desk lamp glinting off the metal. I looked it over, pretending not to see the different colors on it. I glanced back up at him and shrugged.

“So?” That pushed him over his tipping point.

“Are you fucking kidding me?! You made my arm look like Tony’s suit!” He shuddered, looking down at the gold and red markings on his arm. “HOW COULD YOU?!” he bellowed, at last, looking close to tears. Steve came thundering in then, looking between us.

“What’s going on here?” he asked, wary of how loud Bucky had just been with me. Bucky turned to Steve, showing him what I had done.

“He was thanking me for my wicked awesome paint job,” I cut in before he could say anything. “You’re welcome, by the way.” Steve and Bucky both looked ready to blow, which made this even better. “Now, if you two don’t mind, I have work to do. Somebody’s gotta work around here since you two aren’t.” The look on their faces was amazing as I showed them out. As I shut the door in their faces, I could see retribution written there.

The next few days passed by without incident, but I knew something was up. The guys, especially Bucky, wouldn’t let my Iron Man stunt go without retaliation. So, I was wary about everything, and I mean everything.

One morning, Bruce was in a nuclear conference, which meant that I had the lab all to myself. Normally that wouldn’t be an issue, but today we were running a few tests, and I really didn’t want to do them without him. I was heading to the elevator when I got a call from Bruce saying that he had gotten back early and was down the hall from the lab and that he’d meet me there. I was hitting the button for the lab when Alice came running up.

“Evie, I found something that’s really bad,” she gasped. “Bucky bought an air horn, and this was next to the box.” I grabbed the picture and felt my stomach drop.

“Come on! Bruce is headed to the lab, and I bet anything those two idiots picked my chair in there to rig!” She got in with me and we shut the door. “F.R.I.D.A.Y get us down the lab now! Bruce is about to Hulk out!” I yelled, panic seeping into my voice.

“Dr. Collins, Miss Winters, hold on tight,” the A.I. instructed before the elevator began to fall rapidly. We scrambled for the arm rail, white-knuckle grips on it until it slowed down before coming to a stop. The doors were barely open before we shot out, running down the hallway. Alarms began going off and I realized we were too late. We turned down the last hallway and saw Bucky and Steve standing with their hands over their ears. They made to grab us, Bucky succeeding in nabbing Alice around the middle. Steve was able to grab my arm and tried to yank me down the hall.

“Evie no! He’s going Hulk! You can’t go in there!” he snapped, trying to wrap his arms around me. I elbowed him in the gut, but he held on still.

“Get off me you big blonde asshole! I can help!” I yelled, throwing my head back. One hand went to his mouth, but the other held on tight. I dug my nails into the skin on the back of his hand and scratched him as hard as possible, drawing blood. “GET OFF ME STEVE!” He finally released me and I bolted to the lab. I could hear his footsteps right behind me, and as I stopped at the entrance, he collided into my back. “Don’t you fucking touch me, Steven,” I hissed as I cautiously stepped inside, shutting the door behind me.

#

“You two are so fucking lucky I was able to calm Bruce down,” I berated the two cowering super soldiers as I paced in front of them.

“In all honesty, it was supposed to be you,” Bucky muttered. I rounded on him, seething.

“I DON’T GIVE A FLYING FUCK!” I screamed, smacking both of my hands on the table. “I don’t care if it was supposed to be fuckin’ Santa Clause! You ever step foot in that lab again, and I will personally stick the both of you back in cryo! Is that understood?” They both bowed their heads as they nodded, mumbling something. “Sorry, didn’t catch that.” Bucky and Steve looked up at me, irritation evident there.

“Yes ma’am,” they answered in unison. I nodded once, acknowledging their answer.

“Thank you. Pranks are to be confined to the living quarters, are we all agreed?” I asked, looking to Alice to make sure everyone was on the same page.

“Yes.” After a moment of silence, we all headed our separate ways. I went into my room, followed by Steve, who seemed repentant.

“Evie, baby, I’m so sorry. How about we call off this whole thing and get back to being a newly joined couple?” he asked, bending down to place kisses along the side of my neck. I backed up out of his reach.

“Oh no. We’re not stopping anything.” He looked down at me in surprise as I smirked. “You two think you’re the kings of pranks? Honey, you ain’t seen nothing yet.” He pursed his lips at me before laughing.

“You got it, babe.” He turned and left my room, and I started thinking of the next prank.

#

Thanks to their insatiable appetite, Alice and Bucky’s bathroom and bedroom needed to be remodeled, so they moved into a spare room. Steve, being as competitive as Bucky, decided that we needed to one-up them, which resulted in his rooms also needing to be remodeled. He moved into the spare room adjoining theirs, so they had to share a bathroom.

Perfect.

Early one morning, I snuck into the bathroom, only to come across Alice in there too.

“Whoa! What are you doing in here, Evie?” she asked in a hushed voice. I looked down at the cardboard she was holding, noting a crazy eye staring back.

“Looks like the same reason you’re in here, Alice,” I shot back, smirking. I walked past her and set up my surprise, grinning at her over my shoulder. “They should be back from their jog soon.” She smiled back, opening up the cardboard the rest of the way. “Oh my god.” I’m impressed.

“Yeah, we’re so doing these together.” She set it up as well, going to the door and making sure that it was in the right spot. After we were satisfied, we left, waiting for them to come back.

A half hour later, I heard a less than dignified shriek come from the bathroom, followed an even louder scream. I snuck out of my room and saw Bucky holding onto the wall, gasping for air. He looked up then, meeting my eyes and glaring. Just then, Steve came out of his room and stepped into the bathroom, turning on the light.

“Fuck!” he swore while jumping as the cutout of Gollum lit up. I snorted, causing Bucky to look over at me. I crept forward, not wanting to miss Steve’s reaction as he opened the toilet lid.

Oh, how the mighty Captain America can yell. And I don’t mean a short little ‘whoa’. It was a high-pitched scream of terror.

I fell to my knees, laughing. I’ve never known him to scream like that. It was glorious. He ran from the room, bowling over Bucky in his terror. Alice came out of her room, silent in her mirth. I rolled over onto my back, cackling. I opened my eyes and saw Steve and Bucky standing over me, both madder than hell.

“Thought that was funny, did you?” Steve snapped. I tried to keep a straight face but failed miserably. “Just you wait, doll. You’re both gonna regret that.” He stalked away to his room, Bucky giving me the evil eye before stepping over Alice and slamming his door shut. I rolled over, looking at her. She wasn’t looking too happy, and if truth be told, I wasn’t either.

#

“Okay, so Evie, I think maybe we should think about calling it quits with the pranks. What say you?” Alice asked me as we stood in the kitchen cooking dinner. Out of everyone in the Tower, Alice is the only person that I have been able to successfully cook a whole meal with and she’s really handy in the kitchen.

“Yeah I was kinda thinking the same thing,” I replied. I grabbed the salad and began plating it up, making sure that everyone had the same amount of everything. Alice grabbed the garlic bread and placed a slice on the side of every salad, before grabbing the pasta bowl and spooning some onto the dinner plates. When she was done, I ladled sauce over the top while she followed me, grating cheese. Once we were done, we stepped back and admired our work.

“I think we should make a trip to Victoria’s Secret and splurge for the boys, as a way to call a truce. What do you think?” I mulled it over a bit before nodding.

“That sounds good,” I agreed, turning to the common room. “Dinner’s ready!” Everyone descended on us like moths to a flame, settling in at the table, Bucky and Steve leaving two spots open between them for Alice and I. We sat down and tucked in, listening to the moans of contentment from the Team.

“Wow Evie and Alice, you’ve really outdone yourselves this time,” Sam groaned from across the table. “Steve, Bucky, you two are some of the luckiest bastards I’ve ever met.” We smiled to ourselves as a smug look crossed over our men’s faces.

“Thanks, Sam. Glad you’re enjoying dinner,” I thanked as I flashed a smile his way. I leaned closer to Alice to continue our conversation. “I think we should go tomorrow.”

“Yes. The sooner the better.”

#

“So how the hell should we get them back?”

That was the million dollar question. I know we’ve been pranking back and forth, but this last prank the boys pulled on us was the final straw. It wasn’t so much that we were stuck in the elevator, but the water? That was too far.

Alice was pacing back and forth in my room, agitation in every line of her body. I sat there and stared, not really watching her, but thinking.

No, not thinking.

 _Plotting_.

I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge. Every time someone told me I couldn’t do something, I did it. I got my Ph.D. in nuclear physics, and then, just for the fun of it, I went back and got my doctorate in anatomical pathology, followed by my family medicine one. All because someone had told me I’d never amount to anything because of how I grew up. That’s been my entire life, always pushing myself to be more than what people thought I could be. Never backing down, even when the odds were stacked against me.

Now was not the time to start giving up.

Steve and Bucky have no idea what they signed up for when they first pranked us back. The pranks were harmless at first, growing in intensity over time. Alice and I reciprocated in kind, but now, after the elevator…

It. Was. On.

Alice was still mumbling to herself about the guys, and I had had enough.

“Cállete,” I barked, pinching my fingers together to signify closing her mouth. She stopped and stared at me, open-mouthed.

“You gonna be stuck speakingspeak Spanish?” she shrieked. I looked up at her, giving her my best impression of Bucky as the Winter Soldier.

“I’m angry. Now hush,” I snarled. She nodded before sitting down next to me, bouncing her knees. After a while, I had the beginnings of an idea that I wanted to run by her. “There’s no doubt that we have to get them back, and I think I might have the perfect way to do so.” She looked at me, curiosity wrote all over her face.

“What do you have in mind? I’m up for anything.” I smiled at her, which made her look uneasy. “Well, almost anything.” I chuckled, sensing her discomfort.

“Alice, what’s the one place that two New York boys would never dare to step foot?” I asked her quietly. She looked at me like I had gone crazy.

“Jersey. What the hell is it with New York and Jersey?” She shouted in frustration. I let her finish before asking her another question.

“What the hell is it with Arsenal?” Her face snapped to mine, eyes wide. “Exactly.”

“You do realize that they’ll either kill us or leave us there to die, right?” She was being sarcastic, and it’s not like I’d let anything happen to her.

“Alice, honey, they won’t step foot over the state line. And I have money, so it’s not like we’d starve,” I answered. She threw her hands in the air in annoyance.

“I have money too, ya know,” she grumbled before sighing. “So what’s the endgame, because, as much as Bucky deserves a bit of punishment, I’m not actually intending on leaving him.”

Seriously?

“Of course we’re not leaving them. We’re just going to make them suffer.” I smiled at her again. “Leave the rest up to me. When I say ‘Allon-sy’, it’s go time. Got it?” She nodded in understanding.

Let the games  _really_  begin.

#

“Steve, what the hell?” I squeaked indignantly. He and Bucky had just gone all caveman on the two guys who were flirting with us. Alice actually stomped her foot at them.

“Yeah, we had that completely under control you numpties!” Bucky put his arm around her, kissing her temple before she pushed him away.

“It’s under control now that we’re here,” he beamed, puffing his chest out. I snorted.

“For fuck's sake,” I muttered, pulling my wallet out and handing Alice the $20 I owed her. She took it, smiling. She kissed Bucky’s cheek and blew one at Steve.

“Thanks, boys, for proving me right.” She winked at me while the boys exchanged curious glances. “I bet that you would go all alpha male on those guys, and Evie said you wouldn’t.” She kissed Bucky again. “You guys are totally predictable,” she scoffed. They had the same scandalized look on their faces before Bucky broke into a grin, pulling Alice in close.

“Oh, I’ll show you predictable later. Just you wait,” he growled seductively. I shook my head as Steve wrapped his arm around me, kissing the top of my head.

“Sorry baby. I have to protect what’s mine,” he whispered. I rolled my eyes.

“Steve, sweetheart, please. I’ve been trained, at your insistence, by Natasha in self-defense. Also, I’m a pathologist. I can deconstruct a man’s body down to the cellular level in my sleep. Trust me, I can take care of myself,” I snapped, tired of him treating me like I was made of glass. He chuckled, not ashamed at all.

“Evie, I know you can. It’s just a reflex, I have to do whatever I can to keep you safe. Sorry.” He didn’t sound sorry at all.

That was his mistake.

“Allon-sy, I mean Alice,” I corrected, shooting a look her way. “I gotta hit the loo. You good?” She nodded, barely, before answering.

“Yes, actually I do too. I’ll join you.” We waved bye to the boys as we walked to the bathroom. Once we were out of their sight, we dashed out the door, hailing a taxi.

Now the fun begins.

We got back to the Tower, where we ran to the parking garage and jumped in my Jeep.

“This is exciting,” Alice declared gleefully. I grinned evilly at her as I peeled out of the garage and headed down Park Avenue. “How long do you think it’ll take the guys to realize that we aren’t coming back?” I thought about it for a while before answering.

“Shouldn’t be too long. I figure that they’ll call me first, and when I don’t answer, Steve will ask F.R.I.D.A.Y. to track my phone, at which point I will shut it off.” I looked over at her. She didn’t look too excited at the prospect of being tracked. “Don’t worry. Bucky made sure that Tony didn’t put a link to F.R.I.D.A.Y. in your phone,” I assured her.  She sighed with relief. “When Steve can’t track my phone, Bucky will start blowing yours up. By that time, we’ll be in our hotel room and ready for phase two.” Alice nodded.

“Okay sounds good. Didn’t you say something about making a stop somewhere first?” She asked, waggling her eyebrows. I laughed.

“Yes, that’s where we’re headed right now.”

**Steve’s POV**

“Evie’s not answering her phone.” I put my phone back in my pocket as we got out of the taxi and headed into the Tower. She and Alice had given us the slip, so we figured they had come back home. Bucky looked so worried.

“I dunno Stevie. Your girl’s been acting weird lately, and now she and Alice are missing,” Bucky commented. “Feels like something’s coming. Something bad, and if anything happens to Alice, I’m kicking YOUR ass.” I rolled my eyes at him as the elevator opened and we got out, noticing that most of the Team was assembled in the common room.

“Hey, you guys seen Evie or Alice?” I asked as we looked around. Everyone shook their heads. What the hell is going on?

“What did you two do?” Nat questioned as she walked into the kitchen. Bucky sighed as he walked up and knocked my shoulder with his.

“No, it’s what did HE do.” He flicked my ear in irritation. “I told him it was a bad idea but oh no, punk here just had to drown his girlfriend!” I shoved him back and huffed.

“I forgot that she doesn’t like water. I made a booboo,” I shot back. He gave me his best ‘come on’ look.

“Yeah? Well, now I gotta deal with a pissed off girlfriend too. WHO CAN KICK MY ASS STEVE!” He shouted the last bit at me, which ticked me off.

“My girlfriend is a doctor. WHO CAN LITERALLY CUT MY BALLS OFF IN MY SLEEP!” I was just as worried as he is.

“THIS WAS YOUR DAMN IDEA YOU JERK! Now Alice is going to throw away her new stuff. NEW STUFF STEVE!” Bucky was starting to really irritate me, and we needed to keep a clear head to find them.

“Alright, Buck I get it! It’s all my fault! F.R.I.D.A.Y., can you track Dr. Collins’ cell phone please?” I asked the A.I.

“I’m sorry Captain Rogers. Dr. Collins’ cell phone has been shut off, rendering my tracking abilities useless.”

Shit.

“And Alice is shifty about having herself tracked, so we’re dead in the water,” Buck whined. I looked at him and sighed.

“Well, maybe Evie has something written down in her room. Come on,” I said, beckoning him to follow me. We walked into her room and stood there, lost. I felt like I was snooping, and judging by the look on Buck’s face, he did too.

“Let me try Alice again,” he muttered, pulling his phone back out and dialing her number.

“Hello love,” she answered as Buck hurriedly put her on speaker phone. We both sighed in relief. “And before you ask, yes we’re both okay.”

Thank god.

“Evie’s with you then, Alice?” I cut in before Bucky was able to say anything else.

“I’m right here baby.” Ahh. Sweet music to my ears.

“Okay, where are you?” I heard her giggle, and it sent a chill up my spine.

“New Jersey.”

No. No. No. No FUCKING way.

“You’re in …Jersey?”  I stammered, horrified. She giggled again, making me more ill at ease.

“Yes. Steve, it’s absolutely stunning here! Much prettier than New York.”

She did not just say that.

“Yes, it’s beautiful!” Alice agreed.

“Did they just say what I think they just said?!” Bucky cried incredulously. Now that my panic to find Evie was gone, I was quickly filling with anger. Evie was smart enough to know that Jersey was a ‘no-go’ zone…right?

“Say that again, Evie,” I growled through gritted teeth. I could almost see the look on her face, and it made me even madder.

“I said, New Jersey is much prettier than New York. I know you’re old Rogers, but you’re not deaf,” she snarked. I looked at Bucky, whose face was absolutely murderous.

“Bucky, love, I found us a house! You’ll love it!” Alice giggled, and Bucky’s resolve cracked.

“OVER MY DEAD BODY!” he screamed into the phone. I was right there with him.

“THAT CAN BE ARRANGED!” Alice’s voice screeched through the speaker. There was a bit of scuffling before Evie’s voice came through, sounding like she was holding the phone close to her mouth.

“She means…it WILL be arranged.” She sounded like she was having the time of her life.

Big mistake.

“You two do realize that you’re playing with fire, right?” I had just about had it with this little game of hers. I say hers because I know Alice isn’t likely to do this on her own. Evie is the brains, Alice is the muscle.

“But baby, it’s so much fun,” she pouted, and as much as this was irritating me, I was starting to like it.

“Jersey though? What did we do to you?!” I groaned. I heard her giggle again, and I knew I wasn’t going to like what she had to say.

“Well, we got tired of going to the same Victoria’s Secret store all the time, so we decided to take a trip over the state line,” she explained. “Oh, and sales tax is cheaper in Jersey.” Alice decided to chime in then.

“I mean, we’re not hurting for money, but it’s nice being able to save it when we can.” I heard Evie muttering something, and she was learning, quite quickly, that she has to be almost completely silent in order for me to not hear her.

“So, boys, what’s it gonna be? You gonna come get us and check out our new lingerie yourselves, or do we need to call those guys from the bar?” she asked, her smirk evident in her tone.

She. Wouldn’t. Dare.

Bucky turned to me, fear and absolute fury in his eyes. “Steve, tell your girl to take that back. ALICE DON’T YOU DARE!” I wrestled the phone from Bucky’s hand while he walked over and punched a hole in Evie’s door.

“Best get yourself over to Jersey then, love!” Alice cried gleefully. I heard Evie gasp in shock.

“Wait, what’s this?” Bucky and I met eyes as we waited with bated breath. “I found a piece of paper tucked into Alice’s cleavage with a number on it. And,” I heard her sniff deeply. “Mmmm, Calvin Klein Eternity.” Bucky’s face went pale.

“That’s her favorite cologne on me. Alice…I’m warning you…”

“Love, you’re boring me now. Get over to Jersey quickly or else,” Alice taunted. “Hey, what’s that?” I heard Alice start laughing. “Oh my god, I just found a business card sticking out of Evie’s panties and that is  _definitely_  Gucci Guilty I smell.” I stood there, the sound of my heart pounding in my ears.

“You two are going to regret that,” I snarled, throwing the phone at the wall. I’m not proud of what happened next.

**Evie’s POV**

“Er, hello?” I spoke into the phone. No response. I tried calling Bucky back, but nothing. I glanced over at Alice, who looked wary. “No answer.”

“Ah, that’s good? They’re coming?” She seemed on edge, and I was also kinda worried as to how they were reacting.

“I guess so. Well, I didn’t get a chance to tell them where we are, so I guess I’ll turn my phone back on so they can track it.” I grabbed it from the bed and held the power button, smiling when the picture of Steve and I came on the screen. I pulled up the messaging app and sent a message to Steve.

_We’re in Room 1308. Make it easier for you to find us._

I looked up at her, biting my lip. She didn’t look too happy, but she had agreed to this.

“Now we wait.”

**BOOM BOOM BOOM**

Alice and I jumped, not expecting the boys so soon.

“Who’s there?” Alice called, even though we both knew who it was. I slapped her arm.

“Alice! That’s scary movie rule number one! Never ask ‘who’s there’. It’s like asking to be killed!” I whispered. She looked over at me and scoffed.

“Evie, this isn’t a scary movie,” she retorted.

**BOOM BOOM BOOM**

We made eye contact as the doorknob started jiggling. “You sure about that?” I asked.

“Okay, yeah, I’m kinda scared now,” she confessed. I nodded as the door shook in time with the knocking.

“Maybe this wasn’t the best idea after all,” I stammered, my knees starting to shake. Alice turned to me, eyes wide and mouth open in shock.

“It’s a bit late now!” she hissed before walking towards the door. “Uh…go away! We’re busy!”

“ **LET US IN** ,” the boys simultaneously barked through the door.  Alice looked over her shoulder at me, an ‘Are you happy now’ look on her face.

“No?” She called out, unsure. That was not what the guys wanted to hear.

**CRASH**

Steve and Bucky kicked the door in, and I realized that I had grossly underestimated their anger. I never knew Bucky in his Winter Soldier days, but judging by the look he was giving me, I could tell I was in a lot of trouble and I’m not even his girlfriend.

Steve was a completely different story. I was actually scared of him for once. He’s Captain freaking America for crying out loud. I’ve seen the Siberia footage from Tony’s suit, and while I know he’d never get that way with me, I’m still wary of him.

“Hi boys,” I squeaked as they walked in. Bucky stepped over to Alice, looking her up and down before grabbing her hand.

“Alice, let’s go next door. I know this wasn’t all your idea,” he growled, pulling her towards the door.

“Evie is in a lot of trouble right now,” Steve snarled through his teeth, standing toe to toe with me. Bucky stopped to give me his best ‘you are so fucked’ look.

“Oh yes, she is.” Alice dug her feet into the carpet, not wanting to leave.

“Baby C'mon! It was just a joke!” she cried, pulling on his hand. That prompted him to throw her over his shoulder and carry her to their room next door, shutting our door behind them.

I looked up at Steve through my eyelashes, a smile slowly breaking across my face as I realize that I’ve done the impossible, getting Steve Rogers into New Jersey. He scowled down at me, clearly not as amused as I was.

“What’s so funny?” he snapped. I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. I made my bed, and now I need to lay in it.

“That as much of a New Yorker you are, I got you to drive all the way into New Jersey, just for me,” I snickered. He bent down and picked me up before depositing me on the bed, crawling over top of me.

“Do you realize how scared we were at first? We thought you two left us,” he mumbled as he began to cover my neck in open-mouthed kisses. Wait a minute, where’s all his anger? His hands roamed over my body, cupping my breasts before gliding down to grab at my top.

“Steve, what’re you do-” I was cut off as he pulled my shirt over my head and started kissing me deeply. Out of reflex, my hands moved to the hem of his shirt to relieve him of it, but his left hand grabbed both of my wrists and held them above my head.

Ah. Now I know what he’s up to.

When Steve and I got together, we quickly learned that I had a touch kink. Behind closed doors, I couldn’t keep my hands off him. I loved feeling the touch of his skin beneath my fingertips and it drove me crazy when I couldn’t. There were a few times we tried to spice things up by taking turns being tied up, but every time it was my turn, I was never able to orgasm. After that, we agreed that I had to always have my hands free.

I knew that I deserved to be punished, so I didn’t fight him. It’s not like I’d win anyway, but that didn’t make it any easier.

Steve kept it up, holding my hands above my head while he worshipped my body. After a while, he pulled back, pulling his button-up and wife beater off. He then used them to tie my wrists together and to the bed, making it impossible for me to get free. He slowly finished undressing me, leaving me on the bed in the lingerie I had bought while he still had his jeans on.

There was muffled banging on the wall, punctured by loud moans. Guess Bucky likes Alice’s new lingerie.

I looked up at Steve, starting to regret starting this whole prank thing. He had this surprised look on his face, and I knew I was in for it.

“And what do we have here?” he asked. “This is what you thought was worth gettin’ me all worked up about?” I smiled innocently at him while batting my eyes. “You really do love garter belts, don’t you baby?” he crooned.

“What can I say? My man is old-fashioned,” I answered. “Am I forgiven?” His smile disappeared as he leaned in close.

“Evie, do you understand how upset I was?”I nodded enthusiastically, and his smirk returned. “No, I don’t think you do.” He bent down, his face inches from my core as he pulled the lace aside, and looked up my body at me as the tip of his tongue barely touched me. I tried my best to hold still, but my body betrayed me as I stretched to get more feeling.

SLAP

Oh my fuck.

He had slapped my clit to keep me from moving, and it hurt, but it was a good kind of hurt.

“No. You don’t get to make the rules. I’m in charge right now, and you don’t get to come until I say so,” he growled, slapping my nub two more times. I jerked my legs up in defense, because the third time actually kinda hurt, but that only ticked Steve off more. He grabbed both ankles and yanked them away from my body, flipping me over so I was on my stomach.

“Ow. Steve that last one kinda hurt,” I moaned, looking over my shoulder at him. He licked his fingers, then reached down and stroked my clit, making the sting go away. My body instinctively relaxed at his touch, which he noticed and pulled away. I turned my head from side to side, trying to see him, but couldn’t.

SLAP

This time it was my ass that got it.

SLAP

Well, at least he doesn’t have me across his lap. Then I’d feel even more juvenile.

SLAP SLAP SLAP SLAP SLAP SLAP

Both sides of my ass feel like they’re on fire. Oh, now he was back to my clit. I steeled myself, letting him do what he wanted.

“That’s a good girl,” he praised. He inserted one finger inside me slowly, easing it all the way back out before pressing it back in. He kept this tormenting pace up for a while, building up an orgasm. It was getting harder to hold still and not react to his ministrations, especially since I couldn’t touch him. Finally, just when I was about to come undone, he withdrew his finger.

Oh for fuck's sake.

“Steeeve,” I whined. He chuckled darkly.

“What? You think you get to control this?” he asked, incredulous. “No, I don’t think you’ve suffered enough. You’ll get relief when I want you to.” And with that, he began long and grueling torture of building me up, then stopping. He kept it going on and on until I wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but I was in desperate need of release.

“Steve, baby, please. I’m begging you. Let me come,” I pleaded, tears in my voice. He walked around to the side of the bed so we could see each other. He swept some hair out of my face, wincing as he saw how miserable I looked.

“Okay baby, I’m sorry. I guess I got a little carried away, huh?” he asked. “I’ll take it easy, okay?’ I shook my head at him.

“No. I need you to fuck me. Don’t hold back.” He looked at me in fear.

“Evie, are you sure? It’ll hurt you,” he lamented. I sniffled, clearing my throat.

“Steve, you have been edging me for the past I don’t know how many minutes, so I need you to fuck me fast and hard. Can you do that for me, Captain?” I begged. He got up and I heard his belt and zipper clinking before his hands came to my hips and pulled them up so my ass was in the air.

“Alright baby. I’m sorry if this hurts you,” he apologized as he lined himself up at my entrance before pushing into the hilt.

“Ohhhhhhhh,” I groaned at the feeling of finally being filled by his cock, although it stung a bit. He stilled, making sure I was okay before he began thrusting as hard as he could. I could hear the headboard bouncing off the wall in time with Steve’s thrusts, but I could care less if anyone heard. I was so close, and there was no way I was going to tell him to stop. Finally, my orgasm crashed over me, my whole body seizing as Steve continued chasing his own release. “Fuuuuuuuuuck, Steve.” After a few more thrusts, he came as well, coating my walls with his seed.

“Ah fuck,” he grunted as he collapsed, flattening me on the bed underneath him. We stayed that way for a bit before he got up and untied me. I rubbed my wrists in relief while he went into the bathroom, running a washcloth under warm water to clean himself off before coming out to clean me up as well.

“Thanks, Steve,” I mumbled as I started looking around for my clothes and pulling them on. My legs felt like jello when I stood up, and I swayed, grabbing Steve’s arm before I fell to the floor. “Whoa.” He looked at me, making sure that I was okay on my own before he finished getting dressed. There was a knock on our door, causing it to open on its own, revealing Bucky and Alice.

“So, you guys good?” he asked us. Steve was still in just his jeans, his shirts ruined by my punishment. I was pulling my shirt on when he knocked, so he didn’t see anything. Steve looked over at me and nodded.

“Yeah, we’re good.” We finished getting dressed and then left. I made a stop at the front desk to tell them about the door and to tell them to charge the repair to my card. The guys had taken an Uber to get here, so the four of us piled into my Jeep and headed home. Steve was speeding, which I thought was funny, so I giggled. He looked over at me and quirked an eyebrow.

“Something amusing, baby?” he inquired. I smiled back at him.

“Does being in Jersey really upset you enough to make you go,” I trailed off as I leaned over to check the speedometer. “110 when the speed limit is 75?” He didn’t look amused at all, and neither did Bucky when I looked back at him.

“Really? You honestly need to ask that?” he spat. I held my hands up in surrender.

“I was just asking. No need to get angry.” We drove in silence for a while, before Bucky piped up from the back.

“So, were we  _predictable_  enough for you ladies?” Oh, Bucky, Bucky, Bucky. I turned and met Alice’s eyes and we both grinned.

“Yes, actually you were.” The guys both looked at me, curiosity plain as day on their faces. “You proved our point very well.”

“How did we do that? If anything, we proved you wrong,” Steve cut in. I rubbed his arm soothingly. He had no idea.

“No, you proved us right. You see, we knew you guys would come for us, even though it went against your very nature to be in Jersey. Point proved. We also knew that if you DIDN’T come for us, it’s ‘cause you’d rather die than step foot in Jersey. The point would have been proven then as well.” I gave them a chance to catch up, the poor ignorant fools.

“So really, regardless of what you did, you proved to us that you are incredibly predictable, which is something that we are easily able to exploit.” I reached back and high-fived Alice, and we giggled at the astonished looks on the boys’ faces. “Oh, by the way. Those guys from the bar? They’re gay. Yet again, you reacted just as we planned.” Steve was white-knuckling my steering wheel in his disbelief. Alice leaned forward to make sure Steve could hear her.

“Oh yeah. They really liked you two though. Were very complimentary about your jeans…” she trailed off as we burst into laughter at the horrified looks on Steve and Bucky’s faces. I leaned over and kissed Steve’s cheek.

“Don’t worry baby. If you recall from the bowling alley, we know how to handle bitches who want our men.” We laughed some more before calming down. We had just pulled into the parking garage under the Tower so we got out and walked to the elevator. Alice and I stepped in front of the guys and fixed them with a look. “I think this goes without saying, but I’m pretty sure that Alice and I owned you at this whole prank war and that you should never go against us again.” They looked at each other, silently agreeing between themselves before nodding their heads.

“Yeah we give,” Steve sighed, pulling out his undershirt and waving it like a white flag. Bucky grabbed it from him and waved it too. Alice and I smiled at each other, knowing that we had finally gotten one up on Captain America and the Winter Soldier.

“Uh, Evie,” Steve started, looking incredibly ashamed. “ Before we get upstairs, there’s something Buck and I need to tell you about your room.” Okay, now what? I looked at Bucky, and he had the same guilty look on his face.

“What did you two do?” I asked, crossing arms and jutting my hip out. They both stepped back, wanting to stay out of arm’s reach. “Steven Grant Rogers and James Buchanan Barnes, what the hell did you do?” The door of the elevator opened just then, so I stormed out, heading straight to my room. The door was hanging by one hinge, and it looked like a metal fist had gone through it.

That wasn’t the worst of it though.

I stepped around the door and gasped. It looked like a tornado had gone through my room. My desk was in pieces, and the legs on my favorite computer chair were bent in ungodly angles. My bookcase had been upended and thrown across the room, scattering books and picture frames everywhere. My dresser, which used to stand next to my closet door, was now embedded in the wall next to my bed, or what was left of it.

Oh, my poor bed.

The mattress was literally ripped in pieces and the frame? It was twisted into a pretzel-like shape and shoved through my headboard.

I heard a gasp and turned to see Alice walk in, hands over her mouth.

“Did they do this?” she muttered, horrified. I nodded before realization hit me.

“Fuck, where’s my laptop?” I began looking through the debris where my desk used to sit, getting more and frantic as I searched. “Shit!” I cried out as I sliced my hand on some broken glass. Steve and Bucky ran in, Steve coming to my side.

“You okay?” he asked, grabbing my hand. I fixed him with a glare.

“No, I’m not. Where’s my laptop? I don’t care about anything else except that. It has information that I can’t get back,” I explained.

“It’s on my desk,” he answered. I sighed with relief before standing up.

“Good.” I looked around in dismay. “You two have anything to say for yourselves?” I asked them, and they had the decency to look sheepish.

“Look, in our defense, we thought you might have been serious about the guys from the bar. So, we panicked,” Bucky explained. Alice and I turned to him, shock and disgust on our faces. I looked back at Steve and he nodded in agreement with Bucky.

“You two honestly thought we would willingly choose to be with other men over you?” I spat. “I think I’m speaking for both of us when I say that we love you both unconditionally and completely. Nothing will ever change that. Not some random dudes in a bar, not Hydra, nothing. You two are stuck with us for life.” Alice nodded in agreement and hugged Bucky. I gave Steve an awkward one-armed hug, due to my bloody hand.

“We’re both sorry for all of this,” he spoke into my ear. “You can stay with me until we clean this up and get you some new furniture unless you’d rather start living together.” I pulled back to look at him, noticing that Bucky and Alice had gone.

“Well, we’ve only been together a few months, so yes I’ll stay with you until my room is back to normal, but I think I’ll say no to the living together for right now.” He nodded, looking a bit put out. “I need to go fix my hand. Why don’t you find as much clothing as you can and bring it to your room so I can go through it when I’m done?” He nodded before going over to start grabbing my clothes. I smiled to myself as I walked to the elevator so I could head to the med lab.

I think it’s a safe bet to say that there won’t be any more pranks for a long time, maybe never.


	15. Chapter 15

I felt so nervous. Today was a big deal. It wasn’t just Bruce’s birthday, at least for me. Today has the potential to change my life. I’ve been incredibly anxious all day long, and now, it’s go time.

Once I was done getting ready, I pulled Bruce’s present out of its hiding place and walked out to the living room. Everyone but Bruce was there, waiting on him. I walked up to Steve, putting my arm around his waist as he kissed the top of my head. “Hey baby. You bring your present?” he asked. I nodded and held it up.

“Yep. Got it right here. I just want y'all to know,” I spoke up, grabbing everyone’s attention, “that my gift is going to out-do all of yours, so don’t feel bad.” There were ‘haha’s or ‘whatever’s in response.

“Dr. Banner is on his way here in the elevator,” F.R.I.D.A.Y announced. We all stood quietly, waiting for him to arrive. The doors opened and Bruce stepped out, slowly walking over to where we were assembled.

“Uh…good evening. Something I should know about?” he asked warily. We all laughed before Tony walked forward and handed him an envelope.

“Happy Birthday Bruce. We all got you something, and we’re all going out for dinner tonight, in your honor.” Bruce smiled before opening his gift.

“You guys don’t have to do that. A trip to Bora Bora? Thanks Tony.” The men embraced before Natasha and Sam walked up with their gift. “A bottle of the finest vodka and the finest bourbon. Thanks guys.”

One by one everyone gave Bruce their gift. Thor also gave him liquor, but it was for ‘the other guy’. Rhodey and Sam got Bruce snowboarding lessons and a chance to go skydiving. Wanda and Vision went in together and got him a full hour massage session. Steve, Bucky and Alice booked Bruce some time at a local boxing gym, their services included. Clint gave him a stress free weekend at his farm, along with pictures drawn by Clint’s kids. Finally, it was my turn.

“Alright everyone, glad Y'all saved the best for last,” I joked as I stepped forward. Everyone laughed as I handed the present to Bruce, my heart racing and hands trembling slightly. He chuckled before pulling the wrapping paper off and opening the box. He paused as he read the front of the document inside, before he hurriedly sat on the nearby couch. My heart jumped up into my throat as he read more of the paperwork. After a moment, he glanced up at me, eyes brimming with tears.

“Is this for real?” He asked shakily. I nodded, sniffling as I tried to keep my own tears at bay. He looked back at the papers and smiled the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. He stood up and grabbed me in a bear hug. I hugged him back and we stood there, the rest of the team sharing puzzled looks. After a while, we broke apart, before Bruce picked up the paperwork and walked over to the bar, looking for a pen.

“Uh Bruce? What’s going on? What’s in the box?” Tony asked hesitantly. Bruce finally located a pen and began to sign the document, answering Tony as he flipped pages.

“Evie gave me the best gift ever,” he called over his shoulder. He finished signing the last page with a flourish and turned to face everyone. “These are adoption papers. As soon as these are filed, Evie will officially be my daughter.” There was a collective gasp, followed by an ‘aww’ from Wanda.

“That is the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen,” she cooed. I could see that most of the team didn’t understand, so I explained.

“Growing up, I was passed around from relative to relative. By the time I would get settled in, I was dumped onto the next person. I don’t remember my real parents, and all I know about them is that I severely cut in on their drug habits.” I looked over at Bruce and smiled fondly. “So, for Bruce to take me under his wing the way he did has meant the world to me. And since he has no children of his own, this is a win-win for both of us.” Nods and murmurs of agreement came from everyone.

“Well, it looks like we have more to celebrate than just Bruce,” Tony declared, clapping his hands. I shook my head as everyone made to board the elevator.

“No this is still just Bruce’s day. These won’t be official for a while, and that’s even if they’re approved.” Tony looked put out, and I grinned. “Don’t worry Tony. If and when these are approved and certified, we can all celebrate then. Promise.” He smiled at that before motioning for me to enter before him.

Once we were all in, the elevator closed and we descended to the garage. Bucky, Alice, Steve and I all got into my Jeep, and we headed to the restaurant that Tony had reserved for us.

“So adoption?” Steve started. I chuckled before grabbing his hand.

“Yes. I didn’t want anyone to know, otherwise, I would have told you first.” I didn’t think this would bother Steve.

“No it’s fine. Just never saw it coming is all.” He squeezed my hand as he followed Tony through the traffic. I could tell he was still tense about something, as he avoided my eyes.

“Just think Steve. Now you have someone you can get permission from,” Bucky pointed out.

“Permission for what?” I asked, turning to stare at him.

“Buck…” Steve warned.

“Bucky, drop it,” Alice chimed in. He grinned at her before turning back to me.

“You’re Steve’s girlfriend right?” I nodded in confirmation. He snuck a peek at Steve before going on.

“James Buchanan Barnes, shut your fucking mouth before I shut it for you,” Steve growled, their eyes meeting in the rear view mirror. Alice slapped her hand over his mouth in an attempt to shut him up before he went too far, but he was able to lean away and keep talking, smirking at Steve.

“What’s the one thing that an old-fashioned guy like Steve would want to ask his girlfriend’s dad for permission to do?” He looked back at Steve to gauge his reaction. I glanced over too, slightly alarmed at what I saw.  

“Steve, relax before you break my car,” I warned. He loosened his grip on my steering wheel before shooting Bucky a death glare. “Take her out? No he’s already doing that. Uh…” I trailed off, thinking. “Oh, asking for her hand in mar-” Oh my god. There’s no way. Bucky nodded at me knowingly as a literal growl came from Steve. Alice and I made eye contact, worried about the tension between our boys.

We had finally made it to the restaurant parking lot. Steve had barely hit the brakes before Bucky was scrambling out of the door. Steve put the Jeep in park, turned off the engine, unbuckled his seatbelt and turned the lights off, all in a matter of seconds before he too was out the door and chasing Bucky down. Alice and I slowly made our way to the rest of the group, watching the two super soldiers throw snow at and chase each other.

“What’s going on with those two?” Nat asked as we walked up.

“Bucky let loose a secret and Steve’s pissed,” Alice replied. Bucky came running back, Steve hot on his tail. I reached out and grabbed my boyfriend’s arm, pulling him towards me, as Alice did the same to Bucky.

“Hey, you guys go ahead. I wanna talk to Steve alone,” I told them. He huffed in defeat as everyone walked into the restaurant, flipping Bucky off as he followed them inside.

“Sorry about that. It’s been awhile since we played in the snow. We’re not huge fans of it anymore,” he apologized, wrapping his arms around me to warm me up.

“It’s ok. Look, if he was being serious, then you don’t have to ask for permission. I know it’s what men did in your day and age, but nowadays it’s not something that’s routinely practiced.” Steve was staring at the ground, not wanting to look me in the eyes. “The answer will be ‘yes’ regardless if you get permission or not,” I assured him, ducking to catch his eyes. A smile slowly crept over his face as he realized what I meant.

“That’s your answer then?”

“Yes.” He swung me around before setting me back on my feet and kissing me. I smiled against his lips before pulling back. “I’m not into having an audience during moments like this, so I’m good if you are. But, if you had something planned out, go for it. My answer won’t change.” He smiled before putting his arm around my shoulder and walking into the restaurant.

“It’s good to know your answer and that it won’t change. I did have something planned but, if you’re ok with this then I won’t bother.” He looked crestfallen at the thought of not being able to get down on one knee.

“No, I want you to do it. I can tell you’ll be bummed out if you don’t get to do it the way you wanted, so please, by all means, do it,” I offered. He laughed and nodded.

“Ok.”

“Besides, we need a ring first,” I pointed out. I glanced up at him and did a double take. He was smiling his wolfy smile again. “You already have it, don’t you?” His smile got bigger before the hostess asked our names.

“Oh, we’re with Tony Stark.” She smiled and led us to the table.


	16. Chapter 16

I was dicking around on the computer, passing time until it was time to go check the mail. The Probate Court of New York County was supposed to send either an approval or denial letter of my adoption to the Tower, and I’ve been checking the mail every day since I had dropped it off at the Surrogate’s Courthouse of New York, which was three days ago.

I had been looking through tourist pictures of New York when I came across one of Coney Island. I clicked to enlarge it and was redirected to the Coney Island website. There on the main page was an advertisement. “3rd Annual Coney Island New Year’s Celebration,” I read out loud. I transferred it to my tablet before walking across the hall and entering Steve’s room. He and Bucky were lounging around, reminiscing about their younger years.

“Hey, baby. Whatcha got there?” Steve asked, kissing my cheek as I sat on his lap.

“Is this legit? I didn’t think Coney Island was open on holidays.” I showed him the ad before he grabbed it and showed it to Bucky.

“Coney Island is open every day. Be kinda cold to get on any rides, but could still be fun,” Bucky answered.

“Oh, Steve! Why don’t we go there for New Years then? It’d be more fun than staying here for Tony’s party.” Steve mulled it over, not looking too enthusiastic about it. “I’ve always wanted to go to Coney Island, and who better to go with than one of Brooklyn’s finest? Pretty please?” I begged, batting my eyes at him.

“I don’t know. I don’t think you’re ready for Coney Island yet.” He smirked as he looked over at Bucky. “What do you think? She ready?” Bucky gave a snort of derision before punching Steve in the arm.

“Dude, you weren’t even big enough for half the rides there, so you have no room to ask if she’s ready.” I giggled as Steve flipped his best friend off.

“Jackass,” he muttered before turning to me. “If you really wanna go, then we can go.” I jumped up and down while clapping my hands.

“Yay! I’m so excited! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” I squealed, throwing arms around him. “I finally get to see Coney Island!” Glancing to my right, I saw the clock on his desk. “Oops! Be right back! Gotta go check the mail.” I skipped from the room, completely missing the conspiratorial look the boys shared.

#

“What the hell? Surely it can’t take this long for them to approve everything!” I groaned. It’s been a full week and a day since we turned in the adoption papers, and we’ve yet to receive anything.

“You have to give it time Evie. I’m just as anxious as you are. I’ve thought of you as a daughter for so long, that for it to be official is killing me with anticipation.” Bruce patted my knee, finally pushing down to stop me from bouncing it. “Remember, like it says on the shirt you got me, Fatherhood requires love, not DNA.” I smiled, glad that he liked his early Christmas present.

“I know. I’m so eager for it, even though, like you said, it’s already official in our book.” I smiled at him. Suddenly, the elevator opened, and Pepper, Tony, Steve, Bucky, and Sam stepped out.

“Dr. Banner, it looks like you got something from the State of N-Hey!” Pepper shouted in surprise as I vaulted over the couch and snatched the manilla envelope from her and rushed over to Bruce.

“Open it!” I hissed, handing it to him. He laughed at my antics before slowly making his way to the bar to grab a letter opener. I huffed in response and he smirked back at me.

“I have to take my time opening it. I don’t want anything inside to rip,” he reasoned, winking at me. I was bouncing in place, watching him painstakingly slide the opener under the flap and slide it across. Wanda, Nat, Alice, Clint, Scott, Rhodey, Thor, and Vision all entered the living room, no doubt alerted by F.R.I.D.A.Y. Bruce finally reached inside and pulled the papers out. We all waited with bated breath as he read the letter on top.

“Well?” Tony asked, sharing in my irritation of Bruce not saying anything. Bruce read aloud from the letter.

“This day this cause came on to be heard on the petition of Robert Bruce Banner to adopt Evelyn Jane Collins, an adult, and on the evidence.” Bruce stopped to catch his breath. “On consideration, thereof the Court finds R.C. 3107.02(B), yadda yadda yadda, and that the adoption should be granted.” Everyone erupted in cheers as I ran and gave Bruce, my dad, a hug. I grabbed the letter to read for myself, before reading the rest out loud.

“It is ordered that the name of the adopted adult be changed to Evelyn Jane Banner. It is therefore ordered that a final decree of adoption be, and the same is hereby entered herein.” I hugged him again. It was official now. I could call him dad. I was crying tears of joy along with him. Everyone congratulated us, and when Tony finally got to me, he had a puppy dog look in his eyes.

“Remember what you  _promised_  me back on Bruce’s birthday?” he asked, his implication game strong. I thought back for a moment before I laughed.

“Yes, Tony. Go ahead.” He went ‘wee’ before pulling out his phone and calling a restaurant. I looked at Br, I mean Dad and shook my head. “I swear if we eat out anymore, I’m going to have to buy bigger clothes!” He chuckled as he drew me in for another hug. I glanced over at Steve, who seemed a bit nervous as he walked over to shake Dad’s hand.

“Sir,” he addressed, standing up straight. Bruce nodded for him to continue. “I know it’s kinda late for me to ask, but I’d like to ask for your permission to take Evie out,” he asked solemnly. I rolled my eyes at him before looking back to Bruce.

“You know Steve, I’m not sure you’re the kind of man I want dating my daughter,” he said simply. The shock on my boyfriend’s face was absolutely priceless. His jaw dropped as everyone stopped and gasped. I gaped up at Bruce, not wanting to believe him. He looked around at everyone, then laughed after a split second. “I’m messing with you, Steve! After the other miscreants she’s brought home, you’re the only man I want dating her. You have my blessing.” I don’t think I’ve ever seen Steve look so relieved. He grinned before shaking Bruce’s hand again.

“Thank you, sir.” I stepped out from under Dad’s arm and hugged Steve.

“Wuss.” I kissed his cheek as he rubbed my back. “I told you, you don’t have to get permission. For  _anything_ ,” I stressed. He quirked an eyebrow at me.

“I know. I’m still going to ask though. It’s ingrained in my head to get permission. Now, let’s go to dinner to celebrate!” With that, we all piled into the elevator and made our way to the lobby. Once we reached the lobby, we made our way to the parking garage and loaded up in some of Tony’s nicer cars and headed to dinner.

We reached the restaurant and the hostess, who I felt was trying too hard to catch any of the guys’ eyes, led us to the private area Tony had reserved for us. Steve pulled a chair out for me, pushing it in than sitting on one side of me as Bruce sat on the other.

“Evie, I just realized that the approval letter couldn’t have come at a better time,” Bruce noted after we had all sat down. “We get to be a family just in time for Christmas.” My heart was swelling at the thought. Tony had the waiter bring out a bottle of champagne and glasses for everyone. After we all had one, he stood and raised his glass.

“Family is everything. It’s the reason people get up in the mornings and why they go to work.” He smiled around at the table. “Evie, Bruce, you guys are literally father and daughter now, and we are so happy for you. To family,” he toasted.

“To family.”


	17. Chapter 17

I was freezing. I forgot how cold it can get in New York, and here I was, walking around Coney Island on New Year’s Eve. Oh well, I was with Steve, and that’s all that mattered.

We were walking on the boardwalk, arms linked together. Steve was uncharacteristically quiet tonight, and he seemed to not want to take his hands out of his pockets. He was fine at dinner, talking and laughing like it was nothing. As soon as we got here though, it’s like he changed into a completely different person. Barely talking, one-word answers when I’d ask him something.

“Steve? Is something wrong?” I asked. He was staring off into space now, and it took me just about body checking him to grab his attention.

“Hmm? No baby. Nothing’s wrong. I was just thinking.” Uh huh. Like that fooled me.

“Really? Cause you’ve been awfully quiet since we got here. What were you thinking about then?” He stopped suddenly, jerking me back with him. He had a ‘deer-in-headlights’ look on his face.

“Uh…I was thinking about..how…old this place is. It opened the year I was born, so it’s over 100 years old. Like me. Kinda weird to think about, to be honest.” Oh.

“Yeah. That is kinda strange. Well, it’s almost midnight. Wanna get on the Wonder Wheel?” There it was again, the ‘deer-in-headlights’ look. “Steve, what is with you tonight?” He shook his head as if trying to clear it.

“Nothing baby. I promise. Yeah, let’s get on the Wonder Wheel.” He smiled at me, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He led us to the end of the line and we began our wait. Minutes passed and we barely moved up in the line. A few more minutes and we moved a bit more, but apparently not enough for Steve. He began to stare at his watch every time we moved up, whispering “come on” under his breath.

“Are we not moving fast enough for you, Captain?” I snickered. He looked down at me, the look on his face enough to send a chill down my spine. “You know, if you didn’t want to come here, you should have said something. Let’s just go home, ok?” I made to start walking back towards the car when he grabbed me around my waist and stopped me.

“I’m sorry. I just don’t want to miss the fireworks.” I rolled my eyes at him and he bent down and kissed me. “I promise. I don’t want to go home yet. I want to ring the new year in with you here at Coney Island.” I peered up at him with a disbelieving look on my face. “What? It’s the most New York thing to do.” I shook my head at him but stayed in line. At long last, after a little more waiting, we reached the Wheel. “Finally,” Steve grumbled as we stepped into the gondola. The ride operator loaded up all of the cars before he started making the wheel go round and round. I looked down at Steve’s watch and saw that it was less than a minute to midnight.

“Steve! We’re gonna be up here when the fireworks go off at midnight!” I shouted excitedly. Sure enough, we were coming to a stop at the very top. We could hear other patrons counting down, so I joined in. “Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, HAPPY NEW YEAR!” The fireworks began to explode, showering us in shimmering lights. I threw my arms around Steve’s neck as we kissed in the new year. “Steve it’s so beautiful up here!” I smiled at him as he looked around.

“I wouldn’t use the word ‘beautiful’, not with you up here,” he replied huskily. I released him so I could look around better. “Evie,” I heard him call. I had stuck my head over the side of the car to see the other occupants below us. “Evie,” he called again, louder this time. I sat back up and looked at him. He was on one knee, holding a little black box in his hands. I froze, my heart jumping up into my throat.

“Steve, what are you doing?” I whispered. He smiled nervously at me, adjusting his balance as the gondola tipped a bit.

“Well, I had a whole speech in my head of what I wanted to say, but right now I’m drawing a blank, so I’m gonna try my best to remember it,” he chuckled nervously before taking a deep breath to steady himself. “Evelyn Jane Banner, these last few months with you have meant everything to me. I know it’s only been eight months, but I know, deep down in my soul, that our love is deep and true. Will you marry me?” He opened the box and nestled inside was an absolutely gorgeous round solitaire ring with a gold band. 

I brought my hands to my mouth as I gasped, tears threatening to cascade down my face. I looked up from the ring into Steve’s face, moving my hands so I could answer him.

“Yes!” He smiled the biggest smile ever as he slid the ring up my finger and kissed me.

“I love you so much Evie,” Steve whispered against my lips.

“I love you too, Steve,” I mumbled back as I kissed him again before he pulled away and waved his arm over the side of the car. I cocked an eyebrow at him when he turned around.

“What was that for?” I asked. He smirked before everything clicked. “You planned all of this, didn’t you?” His grin grew bigger as we made our way back to the ground.

“Do you really think it was a coincidence that you came across that advertisement for Coney Island?” He asked smugly as he helped me out of the gondola, giving the operator a handshake before we walked away. “Why else do you think I was anxious to get on the Wheel before midnight?” I was astounded at the thought he put into all of this.

“You asked Bruce for permission, I assume?” Steve looked over at me with an amused look on his face.

“Why do you think I didn’t tell you what he gave me for Christmas? It would have given it all away.”

“So who helped you with all of this?” He pulled me aside and kissed me again, and I could have sworn that I saw a camera flash. He smiled down at me and began guiding me through the crowd toward the parking lot.

“Bucky, Nat and F.R.I.D.A.Y. all lent a hand.” Now that was interesting.

“Who played what part? I figured Bucky had a hand in it, so I’m dying to know how the other two helped you.”

“Bucky bribed the ride operator to stop us at the top and wait until you answered me. I think Nat took a picture just a little bit ago.” I nodded, my suspicion confirmed.

“I knew I saw a camera flash!” Steve laughed out loud, his hand coming to land on his left pec. I joined in and we laughed for a bit before he finished explaining.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y. was the one who directed you to the Coney Island website. She had also heard you talking with Alice about how you had always dreamed of riding-”

“A Ferris Wheel during fireworks. You sly dogs!” I shouted, poking Steve’s arm. He grinned another big grin as he put his arm around my shoulders.

“Hey look! It’s Captain America!” A guy suddenly shouted, drawing attention to us. Suddenly we were surrounded by fans trying to take pictures with him and get his autograph. We were slowly separated as the crowd grew. After a few minutes, Steve finally pushed through and grabbed my hand, pulling me to the parking lot.

“Sorry everyone, but we just want to go home!” He called over his shoulder, much to the dismay of his fans. We got to my Jeep and got in, making our way through the cars until we got on the main road. “Sorry baby. I didn’t mean for that to happen,” he apologized, reaching for my hand. “Hey, you ok?” Steve asked after noticing that my hands were shaking. He pulled over into an empty parking lot and grabbed my face to turn it towards him.

“I, I’m ok,” I stuttered. He wasn’t buying it, so he got out and walked around to my door, opening it so he could squeeze me tight.

“Why are you shaking? Are you cold?” I shook my head and sniffled.

“It just hit me, all at once. I’m engaged to Captain America. It’s just so surreal to think about.” Steve stared at me with the funniest look. “I’m sorry. I just,” I broke off, not sure how to explain.

“Do you not want this after all? Because we can fix that,” he offered immediately. I shook my head even harder, not wanting him to feel bad.

“Of course I want this! It’s just that I don’t see you as Captain America. I see you as Steve Rogers. Always have, always will. Like I said, it just hit me all at once. I’m in a relationship with Captain America, and now I’m going to marry him.” It felt good to get it off my chest. A look of understanding washed over his face.

“Oh. Well, that makes sense. It’s ok baby, we don’t have to announce it if you don’t want to.” His smile didn’t reach his eyes and I felt terrible. I was ruining our night.

“Steve, of course, I want to announce it. I want to shout it from the rooftops that I’m marrying you. It just caught me by surprise is all. Seeing all those people clamoring around really drove it home. I’m not just marrying you, I’m marrying Captain America too.” I shivered, the cold finally getting to me. “Let’s go home, Steve. I’m getting cold and you’re the only person who can warm me up.” I winked at him and he chuckled darkly.

“I think that can be arranged, soon-to-be Mrs. Rogers.” He sprinted around to the driver side and got back in. We peeled out of the parking lot and raced back to the Tower. We took the elevator up to a couple of floors below the party, then Steve carried me up to his room via the staircase. We barely made it in the door before we were on each other.

Steve made quick work of our clothes, all but ripping them from our bodies. I kissed every inch of him that I could reach, and he reciprocated in kind. He pushed me back on his bed, climbing over my body and settling between my legs. I claimed his mouth as I slid my hand down his body and began to stroke him, rubbing his swollen head along my slit.

“Hold on baby,” he groaned suddenly. I had pushed his tip inside me slightly, eager to have him. Steve reached over to his bedside table and rooted around in the drawer until he found a condom. He tore open the packet and quickly rolled it down his length before lining himself up with my entrance and plunging in without warning.  

“Oh fuck Steve,” I gasped, breathless at the feeling of being filled so suddenly. I opened my eyes, not realizing I had shut them and was met with his gaze.

It was blazing with the white-hot intensity of a thousand stars. I was stunned momentarily at the ferocity in his eyes.

“I love you, Evelyn,” he vowed, caressing my face before bringing his lips back to mine. He lit a fire within me, burning away every doubt or concern I ever had about us. As he began a slow, tender, and passionate pace, I felt his complete and utter devotion for me settle into my very bones.

“I love you too, Steve,” I moaned against his lips.

“Hey, party’s over-AHH!” Steve and I both looked towards the door to see Bucky standing there, pale as a sheet.

“Buck, what the hell? CLOSE THE FUCKING DOOR!” Steve yelled at his best friend, moving his body to cover mine. I giggled at the look on Bucky’s face. When he didn’t move, Steve grabbed the edge of his bedside table and literally threw it at him.

“Alright alright! I’m going!” Bucky cried out as the table collided with the wall, breaking into pieces as the door slammed shut. Steve and I looked at each other for a brief second before bursting into laughter.

“Bet he knocks from now on,” I chuckled. Steve pulled back to look at me with a surprised look on his face.

“Oh you think that’s funny, do you?” He asked, snapping his hips forward sharply, his tip hitting that spot deep inside me. “You think it’s funny for Bucky to watch me fuck you?” He started a relentless pace then, continuously hitting my g-spot. My orgasm was fast approaching, but he wasn’t letting up. “D’you want Bucky to watch us fuck from now on, huh baby?” Steve’s dirty talk did the trick, my release finally washing over me as I dug my nails into his back.

“Oh god, Steve!” I cried out as he fucked me through my high, seeking his own end. A strangled shout burst from him, his own release found. He stilled as his come filled the condom, before reaching down to grab it as he pulled out of me. He left to dispose of it before gathering our clothes and we began to get dressed.

“No Steve, I do not want Bucky watching us,” I huffed, still trying to catch my breath. “The situation was just really funny to me is all.” He laughed before kissing me deeply.

“I know baby. I was just caught up in the moment. Trust me, he won’t be watching.” His eyes grew wide at the thought as he shook his head. “Never in a million years.” He smiled at me before sighing. “I’m sure everyone knows we’re here. Let’s go tell them the good news.” I took his offered hand and followed him out to the living room where the rest of the team was waiting.

“Looks like you guys rang in the new year quite nicely,” Tony observed, his trademark smirk on his face. I shared a grin with Steve before winking at Bucky.

“Yeah, you could say that. Did you see anything you like, Buck?” I teased. His face went red as everyone laughed.

“No. All I saw was Steve’s pasty white ass.” Steve flipped Bucky off as we all laughed some more. Alice gave me a knowing look before nodding at me.

“Is there anything you’d like to share?” she asked, her grin growing by the second. I looked at Steve and smiled.

“Yes actually.” I held my left hand out for everyone to see. “Steve and I are getting married!” The team all gathered around to give us hugs and congratulations, the girls all crowding me to gawk at my ring. Tony had run to the bar and came back now with glasses of champagne, handing one to everybody before waving for attention.

“I’m not going to go into a long speech. That’s for the reception. To Steve and Evie,” he toasted, holding his glass up.

“To Steve and Evie,” everyone repeated as we all clinked glasses.


	18. Chapter 18

Its been a couple weeks since Steve and I got engaged. He asked Bucky to be his best man almost immediately, which was a no-brainer. He also asked Sam, Clint, Scott, and Tony to be groomsmen, which everyone saw coming except Tony. After everything that had happened, the gesture was a surprising one, but Tony was grateful regardless.

I, of course, asked Bruce if he’d walk me down the aisle. At first, he wasn’t too keen on the idea, on account of only becoming my dad not even a month ago, and now he was expected to give me away. I could understand where he was coming from, but we’ve been family since we met.  He’ll always be my dad,  so he’s not losing a daughter, he’s gaining a son-in-law. After pointing that out to him, Bruce begrudgingly agreed to  ~~giving me away~~  walking me down the aisle.

Finding my bridal party, now that was a tough job. Maria, Pepper, and Wanda were to be bridesmaids, but trying to choose between Alice and Natasha for my maid of honor was difficult. Finally, after a night of no sleep, I made a decision. I ordered the cards, and when they arrived, I sent them out. Maria was the first to say yes, a picture message with her smiling face and a thumbs up whilst covered in blood and grime. Pepper sent me a congratulatory fruit basket with a card bearing one word: Yes.

I had snuck into Wanda, Alice, and Nat’s rooms and left their cards on their pillows, as Nat and Wanda were away on missions, and Alice and Bucky had taken off for the weekend.

Wanda was the first to come home, bursting into my room chanting ‘yes’. Nat was shocked that I had asked her, but she happily took the position. The reaction I was waiting for though, was Alice’s.

She and Bucky had come back from their weekend getaway and were catching up with Hunter, so I didn’t expect an answer right away.

I had retired to my own room for the night when I heard a light knocking as she opened my door, peeking in to make sure I was there before coming in and sitting on my bed.

“Really?” she asked quietly after a lengthy silence.

“Yes really, unless you think you can’t handle it. I can switch you with Wanda or Nat unless you just don’t want to take part at all,” I answered. She looked down at the card in her lap before replying.

“Why me?” I sat up and put my tablet away, moving to sit next to her.

“Well, you are my closest friend here. We may not have gotten on well at first, but now we’ve bonded because of the boys. So, whatta ya say?” I asked, knocking her shoulder with mine. She smiled warmly before enveloping me in a hug.

“Of course I’ll be your maid of honor. You’re going to need all the help you can get.” We laughed as we broke apart. I grabbed my tablet and grinned.

“Can I show you what I thought about for colors?” I asked her. She could tell I was bubbling with excitement, so she nodded. I squealed with joy as I pulled up the website and scrolled down to my idea board before giving her the tablet. “I had originally wanted a red of some sort, but if Nat and Pepper had accepted my proposals, then it would clash with their hair. But then I remembered this one suit Steve used to wear, and I just had to.” Alice nodded in agreement.

“Oh yeah. That’s a much better color scheme. He, no doubt, looked damn good in that suit,” she answered. I nodded vigorously.

“When you’re right, you’re right. So, I was thinking that you and the girls can be in dresses the same color as Steve’s suit, while the groomsmen and Bruce will be in this color and I’ll be in white. We’ll be opposites of each other, which I think would be nice.” I looked over at her and the smirk she had on her face unnerved me.

“I thought white was just for virgins?” she mused. I sighed loudly, incredulous.

“Off-white then,” I snarked. She grinned and nodded. “If it pleases her majesty, I was thinking that Cassie, Scott’s daughter, could be the flower girl, and Nathaniel, Clint’s youngest son, could be the ring bearer. What do you think?”

“Sounds good. Are you guys going to have the ceremony in a church?” I sighed and she frowned. “Can’t decide on a church?”

“No. We can’t decide where we want the ceremony in general. Steve’s such a traditionalist that he wants to get married in a church, and I’d rather have it outside. But, since I’ve said that, he won’t tell me what he actually wants. Bucky knows, and he told me, but Steve is adamant that I get what I want, regardless of what he wants.” I threw myself back on my bed, huffing in frustration. Alice patted my leg sympathetically.

“Relax. You guys will figure it out eventually.” She stood and walked to the door. “I’m going to hit the hay. I need a shower and sleep. Night.” She shut the door behind her as I sighed and got in bed as well.

#

“Steve, I wanna go back to the Tower. I’m cold,” I complained. He chuckled as he led me down the sidewalk towards another park.

“It’s not that cold. Try being frozen in the Arctic for 70 years,” he joked, bumping me with his elbow. “We need to figure out where we want the wedding since we’re having it outdoors-”

“Alright, stop.” I quit walking and he turned to face me. “Enough with the outdoor shit. You and I both know that you want a church wedding more than anything. Why you’re fighting me on it, I don’t know, but it needs to stop.” He opened his mouth to argue but I cut him off. “No. I don’t want to hear any more. We’re getting married the way you want, end of discussion.” I began to walk back to my jeep when Steve came up behind and picked me up, carrying me to my car. He opened the back door and set me in the seat before squeezing in next to me and shutting the door behind him.

“No, it’s not the end of the discussion. We have to agree on this, otherwise we may as well call the whole thing off,” he snapped. I haven’t seen him this upset over something in a while. “Dammit Evie, I just want you to be happy. I want to give you everything, including the wedding of your dreams. Is that too much to ask?” His chest was heaving with the deep breaths he was taking, so to avoid a meltdown, I let him calm down before leaning forward and kissing him. He was hesitant in his reaction, so I pulled away with a smile on my face.

“Steve, the wedding of my dreams is the one where I get you as my husband at the end,” I answered. He quirked an eyebrow at me as I continued. “Doesn’t matter when, or where, or how. All that matters to me is that by the end of it all, I’m Mrs. Steve Rogers.” I reached up and pulled his beanie off, running my fingers through his hat hair. “Tell you what, you pick where we get married, and I pick where we go for our honeymoon. Deal?” Steve’s eyes grew wide as the implications of my statement sunk in. I was giving him complete control over where we get married in exchange for complete control over the honeymoon.

“Evie, are you sure? That’s a really big deal,” he warned. I smiled again as I leaned in and whispered into his ear.

“Yes, I’m sure. If you take me home, I can show you just how sure I am.” I began to pepper his neck with kisses as my hand made its way to his waistband, only to be stopped by him.

“Oh no. I know what you’re trying to do, and it’s not going to work this time, Evie.” I pulled away and met his disapproving gaze. “You don’t have to bribe me with sex, baby. We can come to an agreement without it.” I sat back and sighed.

“Fine. What do you want to do then? And please be honest. If I find out years down the road that you wished we had done it this way or that way, I will never forgive myself.” He hung his head and laughed.

“Okay yes, I want to get married in a church and I’d like to go somewhere exciting for our honeymoon. There, happy now?” he fumed, folding his arms over his chest. Now we’re getting somewhere.

“Yes, I’m happy now. Would you like to know what I want?” I asked him, throwing his little attitude right back at him. He nodded curtly so I could continue. “I would love to have the ceremony outside and to go somewhere quiet for the honeymoon. So how should we compromise?” I grabbed his chin and turned his face towards me. “I want you to be happy because that will make me happy. So, how about we get married how you want, and we honeymoon how I want? I found a place that would be both exciting and quiet, so we’d both get what we want.” Steve glared at me while pulling his face out of my hand.

“Where is this place? I think I get some kind of say so in where we go.” I smiled before reaching into my pocket and pulling out my phone. I hit the app and pulled up the website and showed it to him. He took it from me and began to scroll through the info and pictures. After he got to the end, he gave it back and nodded. “Okay, that place sounds amazing.” He threw his head back. “Alright. Since you picked where we’re honeymooning, I guess I get to pick where we get married,” he sighed in defeat.

“Why so glum, sugar plum? You’re getting what you want, and I’m getting what I want. It’s a win-win,” I pointed out. He put his arm around me and pulled me to his side.

“You sure that getting married in a church won’t bother you?” he asked. I chuckled.

“Yes. And I just had a thought; if we get married inside, it’ll be harder for paparazzi to sneak pictures of us. That alone will make a church wedding worth it.” He smiled down at me.

“You got a point there. I already have the perfect church picked out, and I’ve already talked to the pastor who would perform the ceremony.” I raised my eyebrows at him in surprise. “What? I wanted to have a contingency plan in case you folded.” He shrugged as I laughed.

“So can we go home now?” I asked, shivering. The inside of the jeep was cold due to sitting for a while, and Steve could only keep me warm so long.

“Well, how about if we go by the church? I wanna see your face when you see the inside.”

“Fine. I don’t care where we go, as long as I get warm.” Steve got out and walked to the driver’s door while I climbed over the center console and settled in the seat. He started the car and turned the heaters on full blast while I waited for it to warm up. Finally, the vents started to blow warm air, so Steve took off, weaving through traffic towards the church. “So what’s the name of this place?” I asked, my teeth no longer chattering.

“Our Lady of Victory Church,” he answered. “It’s older than me and Bucky. I think it’s perfect, but I want to know what you think of it.” He looked out the windshield and gestured off in the distance. “There it is.” I glanced in the direction he pointed and my jaw dropped.

Oh my gosh. It’s absolutely stunning. This is the kind of church that little girls dream about when they dream of their wedding.

“Wow. You’re speechless. I take that as a good sign?” Steve asked, chuckling as he pulled into a parking space. “C’mon, we gotta walk a bit.” He got out and walked around to my side, opening my door and offering his hand for me to take so I wouldn’t slip on the snow and ice. Walking into the shadow of this massive building was intimidating and absolutely breathtaking.

“Steve this place is incredible. I can definitely say I’m all for a church wedding now.” He opened the door and I gasped. It was stunning. There was definitely a more traditional feeling, but it wasn’t overpowering.

I loved it.

“Ah, Father Michael,” Steve called. I followed him over, shaking hands with the man after Steve. “Father, this is my fiance Evie Banner. Evie, this is Father Michael, who would be performing our ceremony,” he explained as he introduced us.

“Captain, you’ve been too modest. She is incredibly lovely. I can see why you’re not wasting any more time,” the priest noted. Steve’s cheeks went pink and I giggled.

“Thank you, Father. So, is it going to be a problem that I’m not baptized at all?” I asked, wanting to know how that would affect our union.

“Of course not. Captain Rogers is baptized, but even if he wasn’t, I think we’d be able to bend the rules a bit for one of Brooklyn’s finest,” he explained with a wink. “We can do a non-denominational ceremony, changing some of the wording to reflect a traditional one. You know, to make everyone happy.” Steve and I grinned at each other.

This was going to be perfect.

We spent the next few hours at the church, taking a tour to see where everything was. Then we went into Father Michael’s office to discuss details about the ceremony, changing things here and there to fit our situation better. Father Michael gave us a copy of vows for us to look over, making sure that they sounded alright. I did bring up that while I was okay with the ‘Love and Honor’ part, I in good conscience could not do ‘Obey’. Steve starting laughing then, knowing all too well that I wouldn’t obey him even if it was in our vows. He changed it in his too, because if I wasn’t going to do it, then he wasn’t either. After going over everything, Father Michael gave us his card with instructions to call him if anything needed to be changed. We thanked him for his time and left, feeling so much better that we had finally figured out where we would be getting married.

#

It’s been a few weeks since Alice and I had to go all badass on those two ass clowns, and Steve and Bucky were still upset that we had gone out on our own and ended up hurt.

The four of us were sitting in the movie room, looking through all of the movies and trying to settle on one to watch. Alice had picked out  _Atomic Blonde_ , because of how badass Charlize Theron is, but Bucky had scoffed saying that it was dumb, because real women like us shouldn’t have to defend themselves because they have men for that. Alice and I looked at each other, jaws dropped, before turning to the guys.

“The fuck?” I snapped. Steve and Alice don’t really fight, per se. They actually see eye to eye on a lot of things, saving witty retorts and tons of snark for each other. Bucky and I on the other hand, well, we had a tendency to really get under each other’s skin and always butted heads. There have been a few times where Steve had to pull me away so I didn’t attack Bucky.

He can’t protect Bucky forever though, can he?

“We are men. We should get hurt, not you two,” he retorted. I looked back at Alice and I had to take a really deep breath so I wouldn’t lash out at him. Alice didn’t look so impressed with him either.

“…..Are you serious? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

“But it’s true,” Steve cut in. “We’re made to take a hit, not you.” He flashed me a grim smile before my temper took over.

“You two can’t seriously be that stupid.” I’ve honestly about had it up to here with their ‘I am Man, you are Woman’ bullshit. My comeback was lost as Alice butted in.

“Okay, first of all, fuck you, Steve. I am just as able to take a punch as your big, blonde arse and, secondly? Have you actually trained with your fiance lately? Because she is fucking hardcore.” My heart swelled with pride as her words. And I loved that she wasn’t afraid to call Steve out on his shit. But I loved being able to go after Bucky just as much.

“And you!” I snapped, rounding on Bucky. “You have the most badass chick I’ve ever met, and I personally know Natasha Romanoff!” I stopped to catch my breath before going off some more. “And I think we can handle ourselves. Do you not remember that we fought off those assholes, or is your old age getting to you?”

If there’s one thing that Steve and Bucky hate to be reminded of, apart from all the obvious shit, is how fucking ancient they are. The first time I joked about their age, the four of us had gone out on a double date and when they went to pay the bill, I told the cashier to make sure to give them their senior citizen discount. Oh, the glares I got from them. Since then, I’ve made it a little game to see how often I can take a jab at how old they are. Right now, I’m winning. Bucky threw his head back, rolling his eyes.

“I know that! But YOU don’t heal as quickly as she does!” Oh, here we go again with the whole ‘Alice is a better person than me’ crap. Man, this gets old.

“And Alice doesn’t know how to administer first aid like you do!” Steve pointed out, the two brothers ganging up on me.

“Yeah and together, we make the perfect pair,” I concluded triumphantly. “Like Cosmo said, ‘We’re two halves of a whole idiot’.” 

Bucky and Steve nodded enthusiastically at that, and I frowned. They weren’t supposed to agree with me.

“Because of that, you two are dangerous. It’s no wonder we have to keep track of you,” Bucky shot back.  _We’re_  dangerous? Oh, that’s rich.

“And it’s no wonder why I have to keep track of YOU,” I thundered. I was too busy being angry with Bucky to realize where the conversation was heading. Alice made a choking noise, so I turned to her, medical training about to take over. I went to help her but she flinched away, looking like she was about to puke.

“You keep track of me?” came her shakey reply.

Oh, this was going to be unpleasant.

“I do,” I said, reaching out to her. “You don’t really think the bracelet I got you is just an ordinary bracelet, do you?” I didn’t want her to find out like this, but it was going to happen eventually. She glanced down at it for a moment, before ripping it off.

“Oh hell no,” she snarled.

“Allie, that wasn’t very nice. It was kinda expensive. I know I should have told you about it first, and I’m sorry for not asking if you were ok with it. I know if anything happened to you, Bucky would go crazy trying to find you, possibly running off to find you and Steve would follow him, so I did it to keep that from happening,” I explained. She wasn’t looking too happy with me.

“Yeah? What, exactly, do you think I would be doing, Evie?! Keeping track of me, invading my privacy, that’s not very nice! I don’t need any of you spying on me, okay?!” she yelled, red in the face.

“It’s not spying. It’s just to know that you’re safe. It’s not even activated unless you leave the Tower,” I replied softly, hoping to placate her.

“Whatever. I don’t want this shit anywhere near me,” she snapped before rounding on her man. “Did you fucking know about this, Bucky?!” No. The last thing I want it to cause them any problems.

“No Bucky didn’t know about it. I was literally the only one, except F.R.I.D.A.Y.” That was apparently the wrong thing to say.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y?! Oh, you know what. l can’t deal with this. I thought I was done with that shit when we killed The Council. I'm gone. Leave me alone, Evie.” She went to leave the room when I stepped in front of her.

“Look, I know this has pissed you off more than anything, but I did it for me as much as Bucky.” I knew I had lost her. She was beyond reason to listen to me, but I still had to try.

“You don’t need to protect me! l don’t need anyone to!” Is she always this stubborn? How does Bucky deal with this all the time?

“Something happens to you, and Bucky goes running off and Steve goes after him, and then I’m stuck here wondering if my family is gonna come back,” I confessed, tears starting to well in my eyes. Alice’s expression broke a bit, which gave me hope. “Yeah, you’re family. I don’t want anything to happen to you, Bucky or Steve. Hell, I’d rather someone else on the team have something happen to them before any of you three, except maybe Bruce.” I took a few deep breaths to calm down.

“And why am l the wild card, Evie?” Alice interjected. “Listen, I know you meant well and I… You’re my family too but…this is not okay, Evie. I still have tech in my neck that says it’s not okay. Just, leave me alone for a bit. I don’t want to talk about it now.” She went around me and left, leaving me alone with the guys. I looked up and met Bucky’s eyes, scared.

“I didn’t want her to find out like this,” I stammered. “I know that if something happened to her, it would kill you. And I know that it would kill Steve to see you like that, hell I know it hurt him when you lost her to the Council.” Tears were falling now, but I had to get it all out. “When you guys came back and joined the team, I made an unspoken promise that if something happened to you, that I would do whatever to keep Steve safe, and if anything happened to Steve, I’d keep you safe.” They exchanged glances, looking worried. “The team was already broken up once, because of Steve’s unwavering devotion to you. I didn’t want it to happen again, and that’s when I realized, as long as Alice is safe, you’re safe, and Steve is safe.” I stopped to catch my breath, heaving.

“Evie…” Bucky trailed off at a loss for words.

“No. I’m not going to let anything happen to you two. I made that promise to Alice. Anything happens to her, I keep you safe. I only hope that if anything happens to me, she’ll keep Steve safe.” I wiped the tears from my face. “Don’t,” I snarled as Steve made to hold me. “I can’t do this right now. Please just let me be.” I turned and walked out, heading for my room. I hated that Alice was so upset with me, and I hoped that she would forgive me someday.

#

**Steve’s POV**

It’s been about a week since Alice stopped talking to Evie. Buck and I were trying to keep the peace, but it was hard. If they were in the room together, we included them in the conversations, keeping off the subject of jewelry and anything surveillance related. We even resorted to not interacting with F.R.I.D.A.Y, just so there wasn’t any fighting.

One day, Buck and I were exercising when we got on the subject of the girls.

“We gotta do something,” I insisted. “In all the years I’ve known Evie, she’s never been this closed off. It’s kinda scaring me.” I felt terrible for her, even though, far in the back of my mind, she kinda deserved it. Bucky stopped hitting the punching bag and walked over, grabbing a hand towel and wiping his face.

“I know. As angry as Alice is, this is hurting her too.” He stopped to take a drink before going on. “While I don’t agree with Evie’s method of getting the tracker  _on_  Alice, I’m glad she did.”

Wait, what?

“So you’re okay with Evie tracking Alice, tracking me?” I countered. The look on his face said it all.

Evie, my wonderful, terrifyingly smart fiance, had pulled a smooth one on me. For my birthday, the first one we celebrated together, she had gotten me dog tags. I had lost my original set, so she did what she had to do to get a new set made. Before she gave them to me though, she had Tony put a tracker inside. So, since I never take them off (something she counted on), I’m always being tracked. I couldn’t  _really_ complain, seeing as how I had Tony put one in her ring. I know how it feels to not be trusted to stay out of trouble though, which is exactly how Alice is feeling.

“You’re fuckin’ right I’m okay with it. Protectin’ you has always been my top priority. Now that I have Alice, keepin’ her safe is up there too, and Evie has given me the tools to do just that.” He threw his bottle down and went back to the bag, pummeling it in anger. After a lengthy silence, he went on. “Look, I know Evie crossed a line by not telling Alice. I’m totally in agreement with that, but you can’t get mad at her for tryin’ to keep us safe.” He finished with the bag, walking over and taking another drink.

“Yeah, I know,” I agreed. “So how do we do this? Throw them in a room and force them to talk?” We shared a look and knew that doing that would only end in bloodshed.

“Don’t worry, Stevie. We’ll figure something out,” he assured me, clapping me on the shoulder.

**_**MEANWHILE**_ **

**Evie’s POV**

I was sitting in my room, thinking. I’ve had enough of the silent treatment from Alice, and it’s time I did something about it. I stood up and yanked my door open, striding down the hall and threw open their door. Alice was at the desk, studying, turning around in shock as the door hit the wall.

“I know you’re mad at me, but this can’t go on anymore. I got something I wanna say, so all you gotta do is listen,” I demanded. She raised her eyebrows in surprise, before gesturing for me to get on with it. I squared my shoulders and took a deep breath. “Look. I know it was an enormous breach of trust to put a tracker on you, but I was just trying to keep you safe.” She looked bored with the conversation, so I went on. “When you three came back from Wakanda, I saw how you and Bucky are together. It was right then that I knew that you were the key to everything, and I made myself a promise that day; if anything happened to you, I’d do everything in my power to keep Bucky safe. Because, we all know, after the events of Bucharest, Berlin, and Siberia, as long as there is no threat to Bucky, then Steve is safe.” Alice sighed, standing from the chair and walking to me.

“Evie, I know you why you did it, but it was still wrong. You know how I feel about being tracked, and then you go behind my back and put a fucking tracker on me! I honestly felt like saying ‘Here’s a bloody knife to stab me with while you’re back there!’ Honestly, what were you thinking?” she asked.

“Alice, I know it was wrong. I’m not denying that. I was just trying to do what I thought was necessary.” I felt myself deflate, knowing that I had irreparably messed up our friendship. I went to leave when she grabbed my arm and stopped me.

“Evie, look next time, just talk to me about it first. Chances are I will never be okay with it, but maybe over time I could begin to think about it.” She pulled me into a hug and I squeezed her back, finally feeling at ease with her. We straightened up as we heard footsteps coming down the hall, stopping in front of the door.

“Oh thank god!” I heard Bucky exclaim in relief as he and Steve found us. “You made up! Finally!” We both glared at him, causing him to hold his hands up in surrender. “Too soon. I get it.” Steve slapped him on the back of the head and stepped forward.

“How do you ladies feel about going out tonight as a truce type thing?” he asked, kissing my cheek. Alice and I flashed a smile at each other before nodding.

“I’m game if Alice is game,” I replied, giving Alice the option to say no if she wanted.

“Yeah, that sounds good. Let’s go.” I left, going back to my room to get ready. I was turning my shower on when Steve came in, a change of clothes in his hand.

“Mind if I join you?” he whispered in my ear, pressing up behind me. I turned around, grinning.

“Not a damn bit.” I heard him chuckle as he kissed the side of my neck.

I had a feeling that this was going to be a  _loooong_  shower.


	19. Chapter 19

It’s now a month until Steve and I get married, and I still can’t think anything to get him as a wedding gift. I mean, what the hell do you get your soon-to-be husband that could compare with the gift he got you?

Who the hell buys a bunch of land out in the middle of nowhere and then tells his fiancee that she can have her dream house built on said land as her wedding gift?

I knocked on Bucky and Alice’s door, grateful that Sam had dragged Steve out of the Tower for a while. I needed their help. Bucky opened the door and met me with a smile.

“What’s up, Doc?” he drawled. 

I sighed as I hung my head.

“I need help finding a gift for Steve.” He nodded before stepping aside to let me by. I walked in and plopped down on his bed next to Alice. “He told you what he’s getting for me right?” I asked.

“Oh yeah. Mr. Dramatic. Can’t just get you jewelry like a normal guy. No, he has to go over the top and buy you a damn house.” I growled before falling back on the bed and throwing my arm over my face.

“Wait, he’s getting you a house? What kind of bloody wanker buys a house for a present?” Alice asked incredulously. I looked up at her and nodded.

“Exactly. How can I compete with that? What the hell do you get Captain America as a wedding gift?” I groaned, my voice muffled by my arm. I heard Bucky chuckle before my arm was moved, his face coming into view.

“Well, he’s never been much for gifts. He was always the giver, never the receiver.” I growled again before launching myself from the bed.

“That’s not the point. I can’t  _not_  get him something. But whatever I get him has to have meaning behind it.” I started to pace the room, racking my brain for an idea of what to give him. “What’s something that would be meaningful to Steve?” I stopped to look at Bucky when it hit me.

“Uh, Evie? Kinda creeped out by the look on your face,” he noted, looking uneasy as my grin grew wider and wider.

“Yeah, she’s creeping me out too,” Alice agreed.

“I think I just figured out the perfect gift for him, but I’m going to need your help, Buck. You too, Alice.” I sat back down and began discussing my idea with them.

#

“Alice, I don’t think I can do this. I’m not one for standing up in front of a crowd,” I stammered, wringing my hands. She hugged me before handing me another shot.

“Yes, you can. It’s just pre-wedding jitters. You’re getting married in a week. I’d be concerned if you  _weren’t_  nervous.” I smiled as she lined up more shots. “Now, take those. We’ve only been here for a couple hours and you’re not even all that tipsy. I’m seriously slacking in my maid of honor duties.” I laughed before I started going down the line.

“Dammit, that shit burns!” I swore as I finished the shots. Maria, Nat, Pepper, and Wanda, along with Alice, all cheered as they clinked their glasses together. Suddenly, the lights dimmed and the music cut off. The next thing we saw was a group of incredibly sexy men on the stage. I looked over at Alice, who was smirking at me. No wonder she didn’t tell me where we were going. “You little sneak,” I whispered incredulously. Her grin grew wider.

“I checked and double checked. They don’t touch unless you say they can. No kissing, no holding your hand, they can’t even move your hair out of your face unless you say ‘yes’. Have some fun, Mrs. Rogers,” she teased with a wink.

The men began to dance, a remix of The Weather Girls ‘It’s Raining Men’ playing. After their group dance, each man came out individually and put on a show. One of them came out wearing an Army uniform circa the 1940s, and as he walked to our side of the stage, I knew what was about to happen. He stopped in front of me and beckoned for me to join him. The girls all hollered, ranging from “Hey Soldier” to “Get it girl!” as I climbed up on stage. He grabbed a chair from the audience and set me down in it. I looked over at the girls and they were dying of laughter, so I flipped them off.

The gentleman began to dance, stripping off his uniform piece by piece. He looked nothing like Steve, which made it easier to enjoy. He finally got to his g-string, which had the biggest little American flag I’ve ever seen, if you catch my drift. He walked over and, after asking quietly, began to give me a lap dance. Once he was done, he lifted me into his arms and walked off stage, taking me back to my table. I thanked him, and the girls all threw cash at him. He went backstage and another guy came out, going on with the show.

“I need a bunch more alcohol after that!” I yelled as a waitress brought another round of shots to us. We spent the rest of the night drinking and having a good time, celebrating my upcoming marriage to Steve.

#

I had one hell of a hangover the next morning, but it was well worth it. This was my last hurrah with the girls because once Steve and I came back from our honeymoon, we were going to be moving into our house and he was retiring. I felt like utter dookie, but I made myself semi-presentable and walked out to the living room. I was not prepared for the sight that met me.

Thor, Tony, Rhodey, Bruce, Clint, Scott, Sam, Bucky, and Steve were all passed out on various surfaces. I joined Nat and Pepper as they stared in horror. I tiptoed over to Thor and grabbed the huge bottle from his hand and turned it over.

“Uh-oh. This has Norse runes all over it.” I called over my shoulder. I turned back to see Maria, Wanda, and Alice standing there with matching horror-struck faces. “I think the guys went to Asgard last night for Steve’s bachelor party, which makes sense since it’s probably the only place he and Bucky can actually get drunk.” I nudged Thor’s leg with my foot, which was about as effective as throwing a tissue at him.

“I wonder if any of the normal guys had the Asgardian liquor too?” Pepper worried, walking over to Tony to check for a pulse. “Well, he’s still alive.”

I stepped over Bucky and Sam, who were cuddled up together (and snapped a picture for blackmail later), before sidestepping Scott and Rhodey before making my way over to the breakfast bar where my beloved husband-to-be was currently passed out. He looked so peaceful and I’d bet anything this was the best night’s sleep he’s had in a while, apart from his 70-year long nap.

“Is it bad that I’m fighting the temptation to find a marker?” I giggled as I turned back to the girls. We all laughed before making a mad dash for the elevator.

#

“Ohhhhhh,” I heard someone groan as he tried to sit up. We all glanced over as Tony sat up, the words ‘I LOVE BUCKY BARNES’ in hot pink on his forehead and a bright red star on his cheek.

“Mornin’ sunshine,” I called from the kitchen. Tony grimaced as he turned towards us, clearly hungover. “How you doin’?” He stood and stumbled over, tripping over Rhodey and Clint, causing them to wake up as well.

“Watch it Stark,” Clint growled as he slowly sat up. Tony continued on until he reached the table and collapsing into a chair next to Pepper.

“What the hell?” Tony mumbled, gratefully accepting the cup of coffee Nat slid his way. “The last thing I remember is partying on Asgard and then it’s all fuzzy.” We all grinned at each other as Rhodey, Clint and the newly awakened Bruce joined us. Bruce sat next to me, laying his head on my shoulder.

“How ya feeling, dad?” I asked quietly. He raised his hand, making a ‘so-so’ gesture. Thor chose that moment to wake up.

“Greetings fair maidens!” he bellowed, walking over to us, grabbing my hand and placing a kiss to the back of it. “Lady Evelyn, I do hope you had as much fun as Captain Rogers did!” he boomed, causing Steve, Scott, Bucky, and Sam to groan as they were awoken.

“Enough with the loud noises,” Scott begged as Sam and Bucky struggled to untangle themselves.

“What the fuck-”

“The hell?”

“Dude get the fuck off me!”

“Man, you’re the one who’s on me!”

“Sam, Buck, knock it off!” Steve stepped over to help them up. They brushed themselves off before walking over and sitting at the table. Steve sat on my other side and laid his head on my shoulder like Bruce. “Hi, baby. Did you have fun last night?” It was hard to keep a straight face as he looked up at me. A giggle escaped and he sat up, looking at me curiously. “What’s wrong?” We all burst out laughing then.

“Well, it’s kinda hard to take you all very seriously with all the stuff written on your faces!” Pepper managed to stammer in between laughs. The guys all began to look around at each other in shock before rushing to the bathroom to check their reflections. Bruce came back first, sitting back down and hugging me. He had ‘WORLDS BEST DAD’ in purple on his forehead, so he was happy. Then Scott, Sam, Rhodey, and Tony came out. Tony was furiously scrubbing his face to remove the ink, while the others weren’t bothered by it.

“I do NOT love Bucky. I tolerate him at best,” he snarled, grabbing a dishrag and sudsing it up to finish taking the writing off his face.

Clint and Thor came out then, amused at their writings of ‘ARCHERY SUCKS’ and ‘MIDGARD RULES!’ There was an anguished wail from the bathroom so I ran to see what was wrong. Upon entering the bathroom, I could see Steve and Bucky clutching their faces in despair.

“What’s wrong?” I asked Steve. He had the words ‘I HATE AMERICA’ across his face, while Bucky had ‘I WANNA MOVE TO LONDON’ across his. My fiancé turned to me with what looked like tears in his eyes.

“I don’t hate America,” he whispered. I began to laugh all over again. Bucky reached out and playfully shoved me out of his way as he left the bathroom.

“Don’t tell Alice, but I ain’t ever moving to London,” he snarked. “Everyone over there is too hoighty toighty for me.”

“Screw you, Barnes,” I snapped in time with Alice, who had heard him.

“It’s not me you wanna screw, it’s him,” he fired back, pointing over his shoulder at Steve as he walked away. I sighed exasperatedly as I glared back at my fiancé.

Steve had this crazy idea that we should stop having any kind of intimate interactions the month before the wedding. Honestly, I thought he was joking, but no, he was dead serious. He said it would make our wedding night even more magical, being able to unleash all the pent-up frustration.

At first, it was kinda easy to ignore the urges. We never officially moved in together, instead choosing to remain separated unless we  _wanted_  to spend the night together. But now that the wedding is now six days away, my nerves are shot and Steve is the only person who can soothe them, but he won’t.

“Yeah, you’re right Buck. I would like to screw him, but I can’t,” I pouted. Steve walked out of the bathroom wiping his hands on a towel.

“Nope. Not for another six days and one plane ride from now.” He threw the towel onto the counter and wrapped his arms around me. “You’ll be thanking me when we get there. Trust me,” he promised.

“I could thank you right now if you followed me into my room,” I argued. He laughed before placing a kiss to my forehead.

“Don’t you have a little friend that could help you out?” He asked, quirking an eyebrow at me.

“No, I got rid of it after we got together. I didn’t see the point of having a toy named ‘Steve’ when I had the real thing,” I hissed. “C’mon. Just once? I’m stressing out here. In just over a month, we’re going to be living together out in the middle of nowhere. I’ve been handling last minute details for the wedding, making sure our bags are packed for the honeymoon, and actually packing up all of our belongings for when we move out. Please?” I begged.

He laughed. “No. Have Alice or the girls help with everything. I need you to relax.” I made to argue when he added: “That’s an order.” I huffed at him.

“I thought we agreed that you wouldn’t try to order me around in public,” I stressed. Steve chuckled darkly at me.

“You told me not to do it publicly because it turns you on. I never agreed to it.” He leaned down and brought his lips to my ear. “Maybe if you’re a good girl, I’ll reconsider making you wait until Saturday night. But, you have to do everything I  _order_  you to do.” I glared back at him and shook my head.

“No. I am entirely too keyed up to be ordered around. I’ll deal with all the stress on my own because I apparently can’t count on you to help,” I snarled, stepping out of his arms and walking to my room. I heard him call my name before I slammed my door shut. A while later, I heard a knock at my door, followed by Nat and Alice poking their heads in.

“Hey, we brought food. Can we come in?” Alice asked, holding up a takeout container. I nodded and they came in and joined me on the bed. “So, Steve told us that you’re stressed out about everything and that we need to help more. We’re so sorry that we’ve been scrimping on our duties.” I waved away her concern.

“I’m just ready for it all to be over and for us to be on our honeymoon. Between making sure everything is ready for the wedding and reception, checking on the house every other day, and packing up all of our things, I’m so stressed out.” I put my elbows on my knees and held my head. “And then I have to keep Steve occupied so he doesn’t find out what his wedding gift is, so I’m having to have Bucky and Sam or whoever’s available distract him because my sure-fire way of distracting him is off limits until we’re away.” I shot up from the bed and began pacing. “I never want to plan another wedding again. Who knew they could be so frustrating!” I wailed. Nat stood in front of me and grabbed my shoulders.

“Evie, stop. We will help you. It’s our job. You just worry about the house. Wanda, Maria, Alice, Pepper and I will handle everything else, including Steve. We’ve got this. Don’t worry about the wedding, just focus on your house.” She pulled me in for a hug, Alice joining in and they held me for a while until I calmed down. “Now, does Bucky know what to do about the house when you and Steve are gone?” I nodded and grinned.

“Yeah. The contractors have his number, so if any concerns come up, he can handle it. He and I share similar ideas about everything, which confuses Steve. Have I showed you the plans for the house yet, Nat?” I asked, excited to show off our dream home. She shook her head and I grabbed my tablet and pulled them up, turning it so she could see.

“Wow. Just wow. And that is where-” she started.

“Yep,” I cut in, smiling at Alice.

“Steve’s gonna love it. And I see that it has an exercise room.” She looked at me quizzically.

“He’s still a super soldier. He’s gotta stay in shape somehow, and with him retiring, there are no more bad guys to take his anger out on,” I clarified. She nodded in agreement before counting all of the bedrooms.

“That’s a lot of rooms for just…the two of you,” she mused. “Plenty of space for multiple kids.”

“And you know one of them, assuming you have a boy, will be named James,” Alice pointed out. I nodded vigorously.

“Oh, I know. It wouldn’t surprise me if I found out I was pregnant shortly after coming home. Well, it  _would_ , but then it wouldn’t.” Nat began to frown, and I realized all of the baby talk was probably getting to her. Alice noticed too.

“So let’s see what you have packed for your honeymoon. It better be nothing but skimpy underwear and barely-there lingerie,” she grinned, waggling her eyebrows. The two of them began digging through my suitcase, deeming everything inside unsuitable for a romantic getaway. “No. None of this will do. We’re taking you shopping for better things. To the car!” I laughed as they led me to the elevator.

#

“Well, this is it. Our last day as an engaged couple. Tomorrow, we’ll be married,” Steve said. We had decided to spend our wedding ‘eve’ together since we’d be waking up separately in the morning. Our Best Man, Maid of Honor, and the rest of the wedding party were handling all of the last minute details so we could relax before the big day.

Alice and Bucky had appeared at Steve’s door this morning and literally nailed it shut with the promise of returning to collect me later on tonight. When the former fist of HYDRA and his equally badass girlfriend seal you in a room and tell you not to leave under threat of bodily harm, you fuckin’ listen. They left plenty of food for us, so we were good and stuck. That was eight hours ago, and Steve was getting antsy since he hadn’t been able to go for a run this morning. I tried to tempt him with a different workout, but he was still holding fast to his ‘no more sex until the honeymoon’ rule. So, we’ve been watching movies all day.

“I know. I can’t believe it’s finally here. In under 24 hours, I will be Mrs. Steven Grant Rogers,” I bragged. “That’s a name I will gladly take.” Steve leaned over and kissed me deeply.

“Glad you like it, Mrs. Rogers,” he snickered. I kissed him again.

“Glad you gave it to me, Captain,” I answered. Suddenly there was a knock on the door followed by the sounds of wooden planks being ripped apart by a metal appendage. The door finally opened and Bucky and Alice stepped in.

“It’s time to go Evie. We gotta start the pampering process early so you’re absolutely stunning by tomorrow. So, let’s boogie!” Alice barked, marching to the bed and trying to pull me from Steve’s arms. He grabbed me tightly and I didn’t move an inch. We smirked at her.

“Sorry Winters, but you’re not winning tug-o-war with me,” Steve taunted. She and Bucky looked at each other and grinned.

“Suit yourself,” she said as they both grabbed me and pulled. What happened next was entertaining.

Steve yanked me back with all his might, causing Alice and Bucky to fall on top of us, the combined weight of two super soldiers, a Slayer and me was enough to break the bed. We laid there, a tangle of limbs on the mattress and burst out laughing. After the laughs died down, we all tried to get up, which resulted in Alice elbowing Steve in the throat, me grabbing her boob, Steve kneeing Bucky in the side, and Bucky face-planting in my stomach. We all stopped trying to get up at the same time, and instead went one at a time. Once we were all up, I gave Steve a hug goodbye.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then. I’ll miss you,” I mumbled in his ear. We kissed before pulling away.

“I’ll miss you too. Alice, take care of her,” he warned his best friend’s girl.

“Relax Steve. She’ll be there in one piece. Promise.” She then marched me out the door and we left to stay at Maria’s apartment, where they began to pamper me in preparation for my wedding.


	20. Chapter 20

_BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP._

I sighed. I was in the middle of one of the best dreams ever, and now I had to get up. I opened my eyes and grabbed my phone to turn off the alarm and checked the time. I sat up in shock, my heart racing and my hands suddenly clammy. It was 7 a.m., and in eight hours, I would be walking down the aisle and becoming Mrs. Steve Rogers. There was a knock on my door and Natasha, Alice, Wanda, Pepper and Maria all came in, holding champagne glasses.

“Good morning Mrs. Rogers! Here’s a mimosa to start your wedding day off on the right foot!” Alice cried cheerfully, handing me the glass she was holding with a wink. My mouth drier than the Sahara, I gulped it down quickly. I looked up at my bridal party, and their smiles vanished.

“You okay Evie?” Alice asked, sitting down next to me. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” After a moment of silence from me, a look of understanding crossed her face. “It just now hit you didn’t it?” She hugged me tightly, rubbing circles on my back. “Not having second thoughts are you?”

I blinked in surprise before shaking my head at her.

“No. God no. I just can’t believe it’s finally here. I’m getting married today.” They all let out the breath they were holding. “Gee thanks,” I muttered. Alice clapped my shoulder before standing up and walking to the closet.

“Alrighty then. Let’s get you in the shower so we can start on your hair and makeup,” she began, handing out the personalized robes we had to get ready in. “Once she’s out, I need the rest of you to take turns getting in and out as well.” She turned back to me. “Get something to eat after you’re out of the shower before getting your hair and makeup done. I don’t want to hear it,” she snapped when I tried to protest about not being hungry. “I’m not having you faint on your wedding day because you didn’t eat. You girls need to be eating while she’s in the shower,” she barked at the girls. “Don’t take forever doing either one either. I’m trying to time it right to where we go in an assembly line with Evie first and me last. So, let’s move it, people!”

Now I’m glad I put her in charge.

I jumped in the shower and got done in record time. I passed Nat on the way out as I ran to grab food. The door rang as Wanda ran to answer it. Laura, Clint’s wife, had graciously offered her amazing photography skills for the day, so she was here to begin taking pictures of us getting ready. Once I was done eating, I brushed my teeth and went straight to start getting my hair done.

Around 1 p.m. there was another knock on the door. By this time, my hair and makeup were done and I was waiting for the girls to finish with theirs before we grabbed a quick bite and then start getting into our dresses. Alice ran to see who was at the door, making sure I was hidden from view in case the visitor was Steve. She cracked it open at first before opening it wide so Bruce could come in. He was still in street clothes, but at least he had combed his hair. I embraced him, both of us shaking slightly.

“You look comfy. Whatcha got there?” I asked, pointing to the box in his hand. He chuckled before holding it out to me.

“I figured you may not have your ‘something old’, since Steve doesn’t count, so here.” I opened the box and gasped. Inside was an absolutely beautiful antique silver ring with sapphires.

I’d bet all of the money in my bank account that it was older than Steve and Bucky combined. “It’s been in my family for generations. Seeing as I now have a kid to hand it down to, it’s yours.” He pulled it from the box and placed it in my hand. “I think Steve should be the one putting rings on you today.” I smiled as I placed the ring on my right hand, a tear sliding down his cheek. “It suits you.”

I threw my arms around his neck and squeezed him tightly.

“Thank you, Dad. This means so much to me,” I sniffled, a few tears cascading down my face as well. “It can be my ‘something blue’ too.” He hugged me back and we stood there a while, a dad and his daughter in their own bubble while the world continued on around them.

“Alright alright, enough tears. No ruining our masterpiece,” Alice butted in, pulling us apart. “We will see you when we line up. See you in a bit, Brucey,” she dismissed, pushing him toward the door. He waved goodbye before shutting the door behind him.

Finally, one hour until go time, we were able to get into our dresses. All of the girls went first, making sure they were all good to go before they came to help me into mine. Thankfully, Alice kept me on a tight leash in regards to food, so I hadn’t gained any weight and my dress still fit like a dream. Once all of my buttons were buttoned, I put my shoes on before walking to the mirror in the bedroom. I may have been teary-eyed before, but now I was in serious danger of ruining my makeup. I looked and felt like a princess. I turned to look at the girls and they were slowly starting to cry as well.

“Evie, you look incredible. Steve is the luckiest man alive,” Wanda complimented. Laura motioned for us to stand together and began snapping more pictures.

“Wow. Just wow,” a voice suddenly exclaimed. We all turned and saw Bucky and Bruce standing behind us, their jaws almost to the floor. They both looked stunning in their suits. Bruce approached me, pulling me into his arms in the most tender fashion as if I was made entirely out of glass.

“Evie you look magnificent. You are the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen,” he gushed as he let go of me. I smiled, not trusting myself to keep from crying. Bucky had finally recovered enough to approach me, engulfing me in a tight hug that threatened to force all the air from my lungs. He began trembling and as I pulled back to see what was wrong, I saw that he was crying.

“Evie, you are absolutely breathtaking,” he sobbed, wiping his face with the tissue Nat quietly handed him. “All I’ve ever wanted for Steve was for him to be happy and to have the family he’s always wanted, and now, seeing you like this, ready to walk down the aisle and become his wife, it’s a dream come true.” He hugged me again for a brief moment before letting go. “Thank you for not giving up on him.” I chuckled as I thought about how things could have gone.

“Thank you, Bucky, for not letting him give up on me either,” I thanked him in return. “You two look amazing. If you look this good, I can only imagine how handsome Steve must look.” I was suddenly very eager to get to the church. Bucky wasn’t listening anymore, as he only had eyes for Alice.

“Alice, you look absolutely exquisite,” he purred, cradling her face in his hands and kissing her deeply. They broke apart and she blushed at Bucky’s actions.

“Yes, she’s positively glowing with beauty. Clearly, today’s all about her, “ I muttered quietly, sending her a wink. They both gave me a warning look, to which I pantomimed zipping my mouth and throwing away the key. “So, how’s Steve?” I asked to gloss over the awkward silence. Alice's phone rang at that moment, so she answered it as Bucky turned to me with a sly grin.

“He’s fine. Incredibly anxious to get to the church and see you. I’ve never seen him this excited over a dame since…well, he’s pretty excited,” he finished quickly, a worried look crossing his face. I snorted, knowing exactly who he was talking about.

“Well, I’m itching to see him too. I’ve been waiting for this day for years, and now that it’s finally here, I can’t wait to get this show on the road.” My ringtone, Alexander Jean’s ‘Roses and Violets’, began to play. I grabbed it before Alice had a chance to and pressed accept while I smirked triumphantly. “Hey Steve,” I greeted nervously.

“Hey Evie,” he answered breathlessly. “Just wanted to see how you were doing and to let you know that I love you and that I can’t wait to see you.” I grinned.

“I love you too, and I can’t wait to see you either.” I heard him chuckle softly.

“Well, it’s a good thing that you love me back. That’s the whole point of today,” he pointed out. I laughed.

“That’s true. All joking aside though, you okay?” I asked in all seriousness. I heard him take a few deep breaths to steady himself before he answered.

“Yeah, I’m okay. You know me, the epitome of Calm and Collected.” I smiled at the thought of Steve standing in his suit, looking all stoic, but I could hear it in his voice that he was nervous at what was about to come.

“Oh, of course,” I answered him. “I guess I better let you go so we can get this show on the road.” I heard a faint chuckle before he agreed.

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll be seeing you soon then. Love you, Evie,” he replied. I smiled to myself.

“Love you too, Steve.” We hung up and I handed my phone to Alice, who took it and packed it away in my suitcase. Steve and I were leaving right after the reception, so we had our bags packed and ready to go. Bruce and Bucky had left while I was on the phone, so the only thing left to do was for us to get in the limousine and head to the church.

“Alrighty ladies, it’s showtime. Let’s head downstairs and head on over. We’ve got a wedding to be in,” Alice called. We all left, getting in the elevator and descending. We got stopped a few times by other tenants on our way down, and the surprised looks on their faces were worth it. I’m sure we were a sight to see; me in my dress and the girls and Laura in their dresses. I apologized every time we were stopped until finally, we made it to the lobby. We ran for the limo, trying to avoid any paparazzi that might have been camped out. We made it without being photographed and then we were headed to the church.

“Wow. That church still amazes me every time I see it,” Wanda mused out loud as we pulled up to the side entrance and got out. The girls had me stay in the limo so they could make sure Steve wasn’t around. We didn’t want to chance us seeing each other before the ceremony. Alice shot me a thumbs up, signaling that I could safely walk inside.

“Dr. Banner! Dr. Banner!” I heard someone call. I turned and was met with a flash of light. Once my vision had cleared, I saw a paparazzo walking away. I ran up to him, shoulder checking him so his camera fell to the ground and shattered. “What the hell?” he cried as he turned to me. I grabbed him by his lapel and got in his face.

“You ever take a picture of me without my permission again, and I will bury you so deep no one will be able to find the body. Nod if you understand.” Today was not the day to piss me off. The creep’s eyes widened with fear before he nodded. I released him and he ran away, leaving his camera on the sidewalk. I smirked before walking back to the door and going inside.

“What took so long?” Alice huffed. I shrugged.

“Some jerk paparazzo snuck a picture of me and I had a heart to heart with him. Don’t worry, the picture was erased,” I assured her when her face paled. She stalked off to find Tony I guess, while I looked around for my bouquet.

“Here y’go Evie,” Nat said as she walked up and handed it to me. I brought it to my nose and inhaled the sweet scent as I closed my eyes. When I opened them, another wave of terror ran through me, causing me to freeze in place. “Evie, you okay?” Nat inquired, placing a hand on my arm. “Alice, she’s freaking out again,” she called over her shoulder as the girls all walked over to console me.

“E, you still with us?” Alice asked quietly, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me gently. I squeezed my eyes shut before opening them and looking her in the face.

“Alice, I don’t think I can do this. I can’t stand being the center of attention. I don’t know if I can…” I gasped, falling to my knees and wrapping my arms around myself. I began breathing hard as one of the girls walked away, only to return with one of the groomsmen.

“Hey ladies, can ya give us a few minutes? I gotta talk with Evie,” I heard Bucky say before everyone left and he knelt down in front of me. His metal hand grabbed my chin and lifted my head up so he could see me. “What’s going on? You don’t want to do this anymore?” I looked up at him, tears threatening to fall from my eyes.

“Buck, I’m terrified. I don’t do crowds or being in the spotlight like the rest of you. I can’t do this. I can’t,” I began to mumble. He grabbed my hands and squeezed.

“Evie, you can do this. Yes, you can,” he stressed when I made to argue. “Look, just….” he paused, looking around for something to help me. “Just pretend that it’s the rehearsal, no, a dress rehearsal.” I looked up at him a bit more hopeful. “Yeah. Just pretend that we’re having a dress rehearsal and that everyone else in the audience is fake.” My breathing was beginning to even out and I wasn’t feeling so scared. “There. See? And don’t even look anywhere other than at Steve. He’s the reason you’re here, remember? He’s waiting for you and you alone. That should be enough to get you to the end of the aisle, right?” I looked up at him and smiled.

“Yes. Yes, it is. I feel better. Thanks, Bucky,” I thanked him. He helped me stand back up and hugged me tightly.

“That’s my girl. Now, let’s get lined up and go, yeah?” he asked as he released me. I nodded before he went to get Bruce.

“You alright?” Bruce asked as he held his arm out for me. I took it as I nodded. “Good. Now, when the swell of music starts, we count to five and then start walking. That’s what Alice told me. She’s getting everyone else lined up and ready.” He leaned in and whispered in my ear. “We were waiting for you to feel better, so now we’re running just a bit late.” I glared at him.

“I’m the bride, dammit. The wedding doesn’t start until I walk in, so tough shit,” I snarled ever so eloquently. He quirked an eyebrow before we both started laughing. I could hear the melody of Christina Perri’s ‘A Thousand Years’ playing as the rest of the bridal party began to walk through the open doors. Finally, the lyrics paused and the music swelled. Bruce and I looked at each other and counted to five. “Dad, please don’t let me fall or trip,” I whispered as we began to walk through the doors. I looked up and I could see everyone turning to look at me and I began to freeze again before I recalled Bucky’s words to me a few minutes ago. I looked up the aisle and there he was.

Steve looked stunning in his navy blue suit. I noticed he had shaved his beard off, and as much as I love it on him (and feeling it on my thighs), seeing him cleanly shaven really tied his whole look together. His face broke into the biggest smile I’ve ever seen when he saw me, and suddenly, I couldn’t get to the altar fast enough. After what seemed to be an eternity, Bruce and I reached the pastor and stopped. I saw Steve wipe his eyes out of the corner of my eye.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate one of life’s greatest moments, the joining of two hearts and to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, and to add our best wishes to the words which shall unite this couple in holy matrimony,” Father Michael began. I snuck a glance at Steve, who was beaming at me. He winked at me, and I had to bite back a giggle. Father Michael looked at Bruce and I and smiled. “Who gives this woman today to be married?” he asked.

“I do, Father,” Bruce answered.

“Hey, that’s my line,” I whispered, causing him, Alice, Steve and Bucky to chuckle. Bruce turned to me, pulling me in for a hug and kissed my cheek before turning to Steve and shaking his hand. He then placed my hand in Steve’s, signaling that his duty, giving me away on my wedding day, was fulfilled. He sat down in the front row as I stepped up next to Steve.

“Should there be anyone who has cause why this couple should not be united in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace,” Father Michael asked. Steve and I looked over our shoulders at the audience, staring everyone down and daring them to object. When no one spoke, we both looked back at the pastor with smug smiles on our faces. He returned our grins and proceeded with the ceremony. 

“Today we have come together to witness the joining of these two lives. For them, out of the routine of ordinary life, the extraordinary has happened. They met each other, fell in love and are finalizing it with their wedding. A good marriage must be created. It is never being too old to hold hands. It is remembering to say I love you every day and it is not just marrying the right person, it’s being the right partner.” I bowed my head, trying my best not to laugh out loud at Steve’s chuckle.  

“Trust me, Father, age isn’t an issue for us,” he muttered under his breath. I choked out a laugh before I was able to contain myself. Father Michael gave us a disapproving look before he continued on.

“I need you both to face each other, and Steven, I need you to take her hands and repeat after me: I, Steven, take thee, Evelyn,”

Steve took a deep breath before repeating. “ _I Steven, take thee, Evelyn_ ,”

“to be my lawfully wedded wife, my partner in life and my one true love.”

“ _To be my lawfully wedded wife, my partner in life, and my one true love._ ”

“To have and to hold, from this day forward.”

“ _To have and to hold, from this day forward_.”

“For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health,”

“ _For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health,_ ”

“To love, honor and to cherish,”

“ _To love, honor and to cherish_ ,”

“As long as we both shall live, until death do us part,”

“ _As long as we both shall live, until death do us part._ ”

I grinned at him as Father Michael turned to me.

“Evelyn, I need to you take his hands and repeat after me: I Evelyn, take thee, Steven,”

I smiled as I repeated. “ _I Evelyn, take thee, Steven_ ,”

“to be my lawfully wedded husband, my partner in life and my one true love.”

“ _To be my lawfully wedded husband, my partner in life, and my one true love_.”

“To have and to hold, from this day forward.”

“ _To have and to hold, from this day forward_.”

“For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health,”

“ _For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health_ ,”

“To love, honor and to cherish,”

“ _To love, honor and to cherish_ ,”

“As long as we both shall live, until death do us part,”

“ _As long as we both shall live, until death do us part._ ” Steve squeezed my hands as Father Michael went on.

“Steven, do you take Evelyn to be your wife? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only unto her?” he asked. Steve looked at me before answering.

“I do,” his voice rang out, proud and clear.

“Evelyn, do you take Steven to be your husband? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him, forsaking all others and holding only unto him?” he then asked me. I looked into Steve’s beautiful blue eyes and answered.

“I do.” Father Michael smiled as he nodded his head at us.

“Now, for the exchanging of the rings. Wedding rings are an unbroken circle of love, signifying to all the union of this couple in marriage.” He paused to look at Steve. “Do you have her ring?” Steve nodded before turning to Bucky. He reached into his pocket but made an ‘Uh oh’ face before reaching into his other pocket.

“Uh, Houston we have a problem. It’s not in my pocket,” he stammered. I leaned over to look at him.

“James Barnes, so help me, if you don’t find that ring,” I threatened. He reached into his inner pocket and finally located it.

“Got it. Here ya go, Stevie,” he replied, placing my ring in Steve’s hand. The audience chuckled as Steve faced me.

“Steven, as you place the ring on her left ring finger, repeat after me: Evelyn, this ring is my sacred gift, with my promise that I will always love you, cherish you and honor you all the days of my life. And with this ring, I thee wed.”

Steve grabbed my left hand in his, and slid my ring onto my finger with his right hand, repeating the pastor’s words.

“ _Evelyn, this ring is my sacred gift, with my promise that I will always love you, cherish you and honor you all the days of my life. And with this ring, I thee wed_.” My wedding ring, gold with diamonds set in the band, was finally at home, where it would stay until the day I die.

Father Michael turned to me next.

“Do you have his ring?” he asked cautiously. I slowly turned to Alice, who had Steve’s ring ready for me. She smirked at Bucky, who in turn made a face at her. I nodded at Father Michael to proceed.

  
“Evelyn, as you place the ring on his left ring finger, repeat after me: Steven, this ring is my sacred gift, with my promise that I will always love you, cherish you and honor you all the days of my life. And with this ring, I thee wed.”

I grabbed Steve’s left hand with mine as I slowly slid his solid gold wedding band onto his finger.

“ _Steven, this ring is my sacred gift, with my promise that I will always love you, cherish you and honor you all the days of my life. And with this ring, I thee wed_.” I had a little difficulty when I got to his second knuckle, where the ring caught for a moment before I forced it the rest of the way to its final resting spot. Steve and I locked eyes for a moment as the reality of what just happened hit us.

“By the power vested in me, and the great state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Steven, you may kiss your bride,” Father Michael announced.

“Finally,” Steve exclaimed as he pulled me into his arms and dipped me, bringing his lips to mine as I threw mine around his neck.

After a few moments, perhaps a little too long for church, Father Michael cleared his throat. I felt Steve smile against my lips as he stood back up, setting me right. We held hands as we looked at the pastor with a sheepish look on our faces.

  
“Please turn to the audience,” he instructed and as we turned he announced out loud “I present to you our happy couple, Captain and Mrs. Rogers.” Everyone burst into applause as we both took a quick bow, before linking arms and walking back down the aisle. Once we were through the doors, we stood on either side as we were joined by our wedding party, forming a receiving line. We met with all of the guests as they filed out, before joining back up and making a beeline for the limousine that would take us to the reception hall.


	21. Chapter 21

Steve and I were seated side by side as the rest of our wedding party celebrated in the back of the limo. We had just left Central Park, where we had gone to take more pictures. I was getting hungry and tired of standing. To be honest, the thought of making it to our honeymoon destination and finally being alone with Steve was all I had to keep me going. Sam was rummaging around when he pulled out a bottle of champagne and opened it, the cork flying around as we all dodged it. He grabbed glasses and began filling them up.

“I’m sure this is one of many, but let’s make a toast to the new couple!” he shouted, passing us all a glass. Everyone lifted their glasses in our direction before we all clinked them together and drank. I eyed Alice as she ever so slyly poured her drink into Bucky’s. She is really trying her best to not get shit faced tonight. She looked up to see if anyone had seen her and I caught her eye, winking at her as she smiled.

“So,” she began. “How does it feel to  _finally_  be Mrs. Steve Rogers?”

Everyone turned to me expectantly. I snuck a peek at Steve, who was beaming, before answering.

“Pretty damn good. I mean, I’ve only been wanting this since -  _forever_. It’s a fucking dream come true!” I exclaimed, reaching over to grab Steve’s left hand and holding it up. “See this?” I asked, pointing to his wedding ring. “This is the absolute sexiest thing I’ve ever seen him wear, and it makes it even better knowing that I’m the one who put it there!” Everyone cheered again as Steve pulled me in for another kiss.

“Sexiest thing huh? Not like I planned on taking it off anytime soon, but now that you said that, I damn sure ain’t taking this thing off,” he swore, capturing my lips again. Just then, the limo stopped. We looked out the window and saw that we were back at the Tower, where Tony had begged and pleaded for us to hold the reception. After a full two weeks, we finally had caved, knowing that if Tony was given his way, our reception was going to be one to remember. Pepper had her phone out, talking to someone upstairs, apparently making sure the staff was ready for us to head on up.

“Ok, so the DJ is going to announce us as couples before we enter, with Bucky and Alice being announced together as Best Man and Maid of Honor. Then, he will announce you two before you can make your grand entrance,” she rattled off, making sure that we all knew the plan since this wasn’t something we had thought to rehearse. We all exited the limo before loading up in the elevator and headed for the common room. Once we made it, Alice ushered us all into the coat room to wait. I say coat room because calling it a coat closet would be a gross understatement. She lined us up in the recessional order that we left the church in; Tony and Pepper, Scott and Maria, Clint and Wanda, Sam and Nat, then she and Bucky, with Steve and I bringing up the rear. The DJ called the couples out one by one until it was our turn.

“Alright folks, please join me in welcoming our newlyweds. You know ‘em, you love ‘em, today’s all about ‘em, so put your hands together for Steve and Evie Rogers!”

With a wink, Steve grabbed my hand and led us forward, where we were greeted by the deafening applause of our guests. We followed our wedding party to the high table, sitting in the chairs draped with tulle and ribbon bearing the signs ‘Captain’ and ‘Mrs. Captain’. As always, Steve pulled my chair out for me, ever the gentleman. We sat there while everyone got settled before the DJ called attention to himself. “Please remain seated, as the bride and groom have their first dance.” The beginning chords of Elvis Presley’s ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’ began to play as Steve led me to the middle of the room and twirled me around in his arms. We swayed in time to the music, just happy to be together. I could hear people clinking silverware against glasses, and I giggled.

“What’s so funny, Mrs. Rogers?” Steve mused in my ear. I kissed him before answering.

“One, that’s  _Doctor_  Rogers, and two, whenever someone clinks their glass, the bride and groom are supposed to kiss.” He nodded in understanding, his hand coming up to grab my chin.

“Well, then I guess we better give them what they want,” he mused, bringing his lips to mine. There was laughter mixed in with applause, followed by either Bucky or Sam whooping from the table.

“You know what I just thought of?” I asked quietly. He shook his head. “We’re dancing to this song again like we did on our almost first date. I say almost ‘cause since you didn’t get to ask me, it didn’t count,” I teased. He threw his head back in laughter.

“Well, singing along to the words was my way of asking, and since you did ‘take my hand’ you were saying yes,” he explained. I rolled my eyes at him.

“Yeah, ‘cause that’s how you do it,” I scoffed. He chuckled.

“It worked, didn’t it?” he asked with a sly grin. I laughed, knowing that he was right. Once the song finished, we sat back down as Bruce stood and clinked his glass to get everyone’s attention.

“I’d like to thank everyone for coming out today to celebrate Evie and Steve’s special day. A lot of you may know that Evie isn’t mine biologically, but she is my daughter in every way that matters.” I bit my lip to keep from crying as I watched him catch his breath. “She’s the most precious person in my life, and as hard as it was to give her away today, I know that she’s in good hands.” I snuck a quick look at Steve, who was looking nervous. “Steve, you may be older than me, but that doesn’t mean that I’ll go easy on you if anything happens to my girl. So, no pressure.” He gave Steve a knowing smirk, his eyes twinkling. The crowd chuckled at Steve’s discomfort. “Oh, and welcome to the family. To Evie and Steve!” Bruce raised his glass in a toast before everyone else raised theirs in a toast as well. I elbowed Steve in the arm, giggling.

“Don’t worry. You’re doing a magnificent job,” I reassured him. We then looked to Alice and Bucky expectantly, for we had agreed that they and Bruce would be the only ones giving speeches. We knew that if we didn’t set down that rule, Tony would have the mic all night. They squabbled silently, each making faces at the other to get them to go first before Bucky leaned behind Steve.

“Let’s make this easy. Ladies first,” he whispered, gesturing to her. I snorted, trying to keep myself from laughing out loud. She smirked and whispered back.

“Well, I guess that means that it’s your turn then.” His jaw dropped before he huffed and squared his shoulders. He grabbed his drink and grabbed the mic from Bruce, clearing his throat.

“For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Bucky Barnes.” There were a few murmurs in the crowd, and I wasn’t having it.

“Hey, you can either shut up and listen, or here’s the damn door,” I shouted, pointing towards the elevator. They went silent immediately, looking ashamed. “That’s what I thought.” I looked over at him and nodded for him to go on. He smiled gratefully, mouthing the words ‘thank you’.

“And that’s why she’s the bride,” he quipped, breaking the tension as the crowd laughed. “I’d like to thank everyone for coming out to help celebrate Steve and Evie. I know that it means so much to them to see all of you here. I’d also like to thank everyone who has helped make today as beautiful and wonderful as possible. Let’s hear it for them because, without them, today would have been pretty dull.” Everyone clapped in agreement, including Steve and I. Bucky waited for quiet before he went on.

“Steve and I go back, and I mean  _way_  back. We’ve been through a lot, and while we don’t remember all of it, one thing’s for sure, we’ve never forgotten each other. There have been times where I wanted to beat him…at everything,” he corrected quickly, remembering there were children in the audience. We all chuckled as a sheepish look came over him. “Regardless, the good times far outweigh the bad. Like now, at long last, he has finally admitted that I am, in fact,  _the_  best man.” We all burst out laughing then, including Steve. “But, in all seriousness, Steve, you are my best friend, my brother, and I wish you all the happiness in the world.” Everyone awed, a few teary eyes in the crowd.

“Now, when you’ve known Steve as long as I have, you look forward to this day because you can’t wait to get to know the woman that actually wants to marry him. I knew, that whoever she was, she would have to be a truly exceptional woman to put up with his stubbornness for the rest of her life.” Bucky turned to me, a look of brotherly love on his face. “Evie, you look absolutely stunning today. Steve is truly a lucky man, and I’m so happy to finally have you as a sister.” I smiled back at him, happy that he felt that I was good enough for Steve. “For those of you who know Evie well, you know that she is a caring and wonderful person and that she deserves a good husband. I’m just thankful that Steve married her before she was able to find one.” The room erupted in laughter as Steve shook his head at Bucky. Knowing him, I grabbed both of his hands so he wouldn’t be able to flip the bird. “Steve, I’m just messing with you. If you’re half as good at being a husband as you are at being a soldier, then you two are going to be alright. To Steve and Evie,” he called, raising his glass in our direction before taking a drink.

The guests echoed him, raising their glasses at us as well. “Now, here’s the male, er Maid of Honor, and my better half, Alice.” I snorted my drink, leaving Steve to thump me on the back a few times as I sputtered. Alice elbowed Bucky in the side as they switched spots, shooting him an ‘I dare you’ look at him when he made to get her back. He backed off, knowing that he could get her back later. She waited for everyone to settle down before she went on with her speech.

“As he pointed out, I’m Alice Winters. First off, I’d like to thank Evie and Steve for putting together such a wonderful day and for asking me to be a part of it. No one has been waiting for them to get together longer than I have. I mean, I torched her ex-boyfriend’s car so they could be together.” There were gasps and chuckles from the crowd as Steve and  I turned to each other in shock. I looked at Bucky and he winked.

The gall of this woman is astounding. The crowd went quiet so Alice could go on.

“Evie is my best friend, and the closest I’ll ever get to having a sister.” She looked over and I smiled at her, touched by her admission. “We’ve known each other since I came to New York with Steve and Bucky and she’s one of the most genuine and caring people I’ve ever met. She looks beyond a person’s past and doesn’t judge them for it.” She stopped for a moment, sniffling. Was I going crazy or was Alice Winters, resident Slayer, being emotional for once? “Steve, you are such a lucky man to have this incredible woman by your side. I….” she trailed off, her eyes shining with tears. “Excuse me please.” She put the mic down and walked off, waving people off as they went to intercept her. I got up and followed her down the hall, patting Bucky on the back so he knew that I had this. She stopped, her hands covering her face. I could hear her quiet sobs, and my heart sank.

“Alice, what’s wrong?” I asked, worried. I walked around to look at her head on, rubbing her arm. “Whatever it is, please tell me so I can try to fix it.” She dropped her hands and pulled some tissues out of her pocket, trying to clean off her face.

“I’m sorry. I’m just so happy for you two.” Her voice was eerily calm, no hint of the tears rolling down her face. “I never thought I would ever be considered anyone’s friend, let alone their maid of honor.” Oh, Alice. I enveloped her in a hug, squeezing her tightly.

“Allie, of course, you’re my friend. Don’t ever think otherwise.” She hugged me back and we stood there as she got her breathing and tears under control. “Did you really set Brian’s car on fire?” She grinned then, nodding.

“Of course. You and Steve are clearly made for each other, and you were taking too long to sort it out on your own,” she explained simply as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Ya know what? I ain’t even mad. I got who I wanted, so thanks,” I shot back with a grin. She rolled her eyes at me.

“I knew that when I did it. You’re welcome.”  Steve walked up then, looking somewhat uncomfortable with women and their emotions.

“What’s up, baby?” I asked him, stepping away from Alice.

“Well, we weren’t sure when you’d be back, so we started dinner,” he stated. “And I wanted to make sure everything was okay.” I nodded as Alice walked off to find a mirror to fix her makeup.

“Yeah I’m fine,” she called over her shoulder. “Oh, and don’t expect me to go around torching people’s cars every time you need something. Bucky got well fucking angry at me for doing that!” She stomped into the bathroom as Steve and I chuckled.

“Come on, let’s go eat. I’m starving.” He offered his arm for me to take as we came back to the table and dug into our meals.

#

Once everyone was done with dinner, and the plates were all cleared away, the DJ got everyone’s attention once again.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please keep the floor clear as we have the Father/Daughter dance,” he announced, the beginning of Rascal Flatts’ ‘My Wish’ playing as Bruce escorted me to the dance floor. He twirled me around, showing off the dance lessons that he and Steve attended.

“Not bad, for a guy with an anger problem,” I teased, earning a chuckle from him.

“Har, har. I did this for you, ya know,” he snarked back. “Could show some respect.” I giggled before placing a kiss to his cheek.

“I know. Thanks, Dad.” Bruce squeezed me tightly for a moment. “You’re not going to start crying too, are you?” He pulled back to give me his most unimpressed look.

“No, I’m not. Why would I? It’s not like the adoption went through just a few months ago, only making you my daughter for a split second before I had to give you away. No, I’m not going to cry.” He swallowed loudly, taking a deep breath and sniffling.

“Bruce, you know that you’ll always be my dad, no matter what. Even if Idiot One and Two made good on their promise.” He scoffed as we both remembered to a few months back.

My birth parents, after not wanting me around since I was born, decided to make contact for the first time since I was eight. They had come to the Tower in an attempt to see me and to try bullying me into letting them attend the wedding. When I had told them that I had all the family I needed/wanted, they got belligerent.

Apparently, they saw me, not as a drain on their drug money, but as a new source of it. I was a successful scientist and doctor, and I was marrying Captain America, so I could see the allure. Bruce had gotten so angry the  _other guy_  had almost paid a visit. If Steve and the rest of the Team hadn’t been there, it could have gone so much worse. They had been able to get Bruce down to the lab to cool off, but I was the maddest I’ve ever been. I yelled and yelled and yelled some more, letting out all of the frustration that had built up over the years.

Once I had gotten it all out, they played the ‘we’re so sorry, boo hoo hoo’ card, promising that they would try to stay in touch more. I wasn’t too happy about it, but I let it go. They were not given information about the wedding though, as Steve and I agreed that we didn’t need nor want them there. They had been calling every few days, trying to break us down so they could come, but I was too angry to allow it. Last time they had called was about two weeks ago, so I wasn’t too upset.

“You’re damn right I’ll always be your dad. Nothing is going to change that, ever,” he swore. We hugged each other tightly as our song finished. He led me back to my seat, where we were greeted by Steve and a dark-skinned man with three dark-skinned women behind him. I felt Bruce slip away, clearly trying to avoid any conflict, and I didn’t blame him. Steve wrapped his arm around me and whispered in my ear.

“Curtsey.” I did so as he bowed, feeling like my life depended on it. The man smiled, waving his hand. “Evie, I’d like to introduce you to T’Challa, King of Wakanda.” Oh my god.

“Oh! Your Highness! It’s such an honor to meet you,” I rambled, starstruck. He smiled warmly, reaching for my hand.

“No, the pleasure is all mine. You are absolutely exquisite,” he complimented in his rich accent as he kissed the back of my hand.  _Oh my goodness_ , I internally swooned. “Let me introduce my wife Gail, my mother Ramonda, and my personal bodyguard, Ayo.” He gestured to each of them in turn as I curtsied to each.

“It’s wonderful to meet you all. Gail, Alice has told me so much about you, so it’s nice to finally be able to put a face to the name.” She smiled warmly, T’Challa beaming with pride.

“It’s nice to meet you too. After hearing Steve talk about you, we’ve all been wondering about this woman who had captured his heart, was,” she replied, Steve going red in the face. I smirked up at him as the others chuckled.

“Enough about me,” he cut in. “We are incredibly honored to have you here. Thank you so much for coming.” T’Challa’s mother stepped forward, linking arms with Steve.

“Steven, I think you need to dance, yes?” she asked. Steve and I exchanged glances, so she went on to explain. “Evie had her father/daughter dance, so how about if I dance with you?” I gasped. That was so sweet. I nodded as he looked to me, the question in his eyes.

“Go! I’ll go talk to the DJ and have him find a song,” I went to walk away when I ran into Nat, who looked at our company warily.

**_A/N: I WROTE THIS PART BEFORE ANY OF THE TEASERS FOR INFINITY WAR EVEN CAME OUT, SO I CALLED IT!_ **

“Is everything okay here?” she asked, her posture slightly changing into a defensive one. Ayo stepped forward then, staring her down.

“The Queen is going to dance with the Captain. Move, or you will be moved,” she growled. Nat slowly slid behind me to let Steve and Ramonda by. I turned to her with a ‘holy shit’ look on my face.

“Okay, so can you go to the DJ and have him play “What a Wonderful World” while they dance?” I asked. She glared back at Ayo, neither of them wanting to turn their back on the other. “Now, Natasha,” I snapped. She blinked quickly, nodding before turning away. Just then, Bucky walked up, the smile on his face quickly fading.

“What’s wrong?” He sounded worried, looking at me for confirmation.

“Nat and Ayo didn’t see eye to eye. It’s all good now though,” I answered. He nodded before bowing to T’Challa and Gail.

“Your Highnesses. So glad that you were able to make it. Steve invited them, of course,” he added on, seeing my eyebrows almost disappear into my hair. I held my hands up in surrender.

“That’s fine. I had no idea they were invited is all,” I replied. The song ended and Bucky offered his arm. “Are you wanting to dance with little ole me?” He nodded, before turning to T’Challa.

“Yes, as long as it’s okay with the king. Then, perhaps he and I can switch partners and I can dance with Gail.” We all nodded our agreement before Bucky led me to the floor, passing Steve and Ramonda on the way. “Sorry bro, but T’Challa has dibs on her next. Then you can have her back.” Steve looked put out, and it made me laugh. “Come on dude, you’re going to have Evie all to yourself tonight, not to mention for your honeymoon. I want a dance before you guys leave forever,” he added on as an afterthought. Steve hung his head and nodded before walking over to snag Alice for a dance.

“Hey, no sad thoughts today,” I chastised him. He grinned at me, spinning us around in a circle. “You know you’ll see him from time to time, so don’t give me that ‘boo hoo I’ll never see Steve again’ baloney.” He laughed as we continued to dance, finishing the song out before T’Challa tapped Bucky’s shoulder. I gave Bucky a kiss on the cheek before allowing myself to be swept up in the king’s arms, while Gail pulled Bucky in for a dance. “We are truly honored to have you here,” I reiterated. “Thank you, Your Highness, for coming to our wedding, and for keeping Steve safe. Bucky and Alice too.” He brushed my comment aside.

“It was no problem, my dear. We were surprised to get an invitation, but once we understood that you were the woman, we knew we had to meet you.” I smiled, smug that I had been the one for him all these years. “It was no big deal keeping them safe. I had a future wife to protect as well,” he chuckled.

The song ended, and I had a waiting list of admirers who wanted to dance with me. Finally, after many dances, the last one incredibly painful with Vision, I was rescued by Steve, who wasted no time in claiming my lips as he danced us to the edge of the room. I smiled into the kiss, happy to be in his arms again.

“Did you miss me, baby?” he crooned, tilting my chin up.

“Of course, my love. Why wouldn’t I miss you?” I asked softly as I leaned back in to kiss him before he spun me around and I caught a glance of Bucky and Alice off to the side as well. They seemed to be off in their own little world, staring lovingly at each other.

Oh

My

God.

I tugged Steve’s sleeve and pointed in their direction.  

“Is he doing what I think he’s doing?” I asked Steve as Bucky was down on one knee. We watched as he reached into his jacket and pulled a box out, opening it to Alice’s shocked face.

“He’s been talking about it for a while. Didn’t think he’d do it here, though,” Steve pouted.

Alice broke into a smile, nodding enthusiastically and Bucky jumped to his feet, kissing her deeply before pulling what I assumed was a ring out of the box and sliding it onto her finger. Then, Alice grabbed what looked like another ring and stuck it on his finger. What the hell?

“Okay, now I’m confused. Let’s go see what’s going on,” I said as I led him over to them. “So, I’m lost,” I squeaked as I hugged Alice and Steve clapped Bucky on the back.

“Well, we’ve talked about the future and well, marriage just isn’t something we’re fond of, so these are just promise rings,” she explained, smiling up at Bucky as he wrapped his arm around her.

Aww. Total heart eye emoji moment.

“Yeah, Alice has been it for a while, might as well make it official,” he reasoned, kissing her temple. Steve and I smiled at our friends, knowing the wonderful family they made with Hunter.

“That is so beautiful. Congratulations you guys,” I replied, giving them another hug before we walked off to dance some more. After a few more songs, I heard Alice call my name.

“It’s time for the bouquet toss, Mrs. Rogers,” she sing-songed, skipping up to us. I frowned, not wanting to leave Steve’s side. “Don’t give me that look, you know you gotta do it.” I sighed, not wanting to be the center of attention again. “How about this, the sooner you and Steve throw the bouquet and garter, and cut the cake, the sooner you get to leave for the airport,” she reasoned. Steve and I locked eyes, the knowledge that our honeymoon was so close, made us want to get through this as quickly as possible.

“Deal. Let’s do it,” I replied, grabbing my bouquet and following Alice to the dance floor. She waved her hand and the DJ started playing ‘Single Ladies’ and all of the single women assembled in a group a few feet behind me. I glanced over my shoulder as I teased them a bit, before finally throwing it high over my head. I heard a collective gasp, followed by cheering. I turned and saw that Cassie had been the one to catch it. I walked over and hugged her, Laura snapping a quick picture.

Then, Steve was carrying a chair and set it down, gesturing for me to take a seat. I sat down, grabbing the hem of my dress and lifting it up so Steve could find my garters. He winked at me while smiling his wolfy grin as he ducked underneath, his hands squeezing my legs. Suddenly, I felt his lips kissing along my inner thighs as he made it to where my garters were. I could feel his teeth grazing my skin as he tried to remove the garters. I jumped a few times as he kept losing them and had to bite again and again. The crowd started to laugh, prompting me to blush.

“He’s using his teeth and he keeps biting my leg,” I called out, making our audience laugh even more. Finally, Steve re-emerged with a sly grin on his face.

“I can’t wait to take your lingerie off later,” he whispered in my ear. I stood with a grin of my own before walking over to Alice.

“Thank you for helping me pick out the proper undergarments for today,” I murmured. She smiled knowingly, no doubt having heard what he had said to me.

“Well, you did need something that he would want to rip off,” she answered. We both looked up as Steve flung the garter behind him, it coming to rest in the hands of Sam. Steve walked to him, shaking his hand as Laura took a picture.

“Evie, Steve, let’s cut the cake. Some of us have a major sweet tooth that’s jonesing for something,” Nat whined. We laughed before following her over to the table, where our beautiful cake was waiting for us. We had our guests gather around the table as Steve and I grabbed the knife to slice ourselves a piece. We posed, knife aloft while Laura snapped a few pictures. Then, we slowly cut a couple pieces, grabbing them to feed each other. I smiled sweetly at Steve, knowing that he had no idea what was coming. My piece was almost in his mouth before I smeared it up and all over his face, and I could hear Bucky cheering.

He and I were now $100 richer. I told Sam not to bet against me.

The shock registered on Steve’s face for a moment, before he grabbed the back of my head and proceeded to rub the cake all over my face as well. There were laughs all around as we stepped back, seeing how ridiculous we looked and joining in with everyone. I grabbed some napkins and began wiping his face off while Nat and Bucky began to hand out slices to everyone. Alice walked up then, a bag in hand.

“Bucky is so happy you did it, Evie,” she applauded. I grinned at her, knowing she was smart enough to not bet any money against me. “It’s time to get you ready for your flight, so please come with me so I can help you out of your dress. Don’t worry Steve, she’ll still have her knickers on underneath,” she promised. He looked relieved, as was I because we were both looking forward to taking those off later.

“Oh, I was happy to do it,” I replied, smug. “Let’s get me out of this thing. It’s pretty and all, but it’s a bitch to walk around in. How women used to wear dresses like this all the time is beyond me.” I made to follow her down the hall before she turned back.

“Oh, Steve, Bucky left you a change of clothes on your bed, so you can put those on if you want.” He looked excited, knowing that we were that much closer to leaving. I blew him a kiss as I followed her into her and Bucky’s room.

We made quick work of my buttons, only undoing enough so I could shimmy out the rest of the way. She handed me my going away dress so I could put it on while she hung my gown so it wouldn’t get wrinkled. 

I stepped into the bathroom to get the rest of the cake and icing off my face. Once I was ready, I left to find Steve, who was in his own bathroom, cleaning the cake off his face as well.

“Hey,” I spoke softly, not wanting to startle him, even though I knew he had already heard me. He caught my gaze in the mirror, smiling as we both realized that we were alone. He walked toward me, backing me up against the wall. “No, not here,” I cautioned as he began to kiss my neck.

“Why not?” he breathed as he nibbled on my earlobe. I was so ready for him, but I knew that if we started, we wouldn’t be able to stop.

“Because I do not want any kind of interruptions tonight.” I pushed against his chest and he backed up, a bulge in his pants. “Put that thing away. I promise I’ll play with it later.” He sighed in defeat as I left him alone to calm down. Once he had fixed his problem, he joined me in the hallway and we came back to the party together.

Everyone was applauding us, making an aisle to the elevator so we could say goodbye to all of our guests as we left. We slowly made our way through, giving hugs to our friends before arriving at the team, who were at a loss for words, so happy for the both of us. We went through them one at a time, saving Bruce, Bucky, and Alice for last. I embraced Bruce first, wanting to hang on to my dad for a little bit longer.

“I’m so happy for you. Enjoy yourself and be careful,” he whispered in my ear.

“I will dad. Remember to take deep breaths, okay?” I whispered back before letting him go. Alice claimed me next, squeezing me tightly. “I know it’s my honeymoon, but if an emergency comes up, please call me.” She nodded in understanding.

“Don’t worry. He’ll only call about the house if need be. Have fun, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” she warned with a wink. Bucky was the last to say goodbye, pulling me into a vice-like hug, the air leaving my body.

“Please take care of him for me, please Evie.” He sounded like I was careless enough to let Steve come to harm. I scoffed at him.

“Bucky, we’re going on our honeymoon, not to the front lines of World War II. We’ll be safe, I promise.” He released me, kissing my cheek before grabbing Steve in an even tighter hug. They stayed that way for a while, before they finally split, clapping each other’s shoulders.

“Bye Stevie, bye Evie,” he wished us. “Hey, you guys rhyme,” he pointed out, and we laughed before getting into the elevator. Tony walked forward just then, saying one last thing before the doors shut.

“Don’t forget, there are cameras. If there’s nothing you want us to see, I’d wait,” he warned us as his face vanished from view. Steve and I looked at each other, and we were thinking the same thing: this is going to be the longest elevator ride ever.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THERE IS SMUT GALORE! 18 AND OLDER PLEASE!!!!!

“It was incredibly nice for Tony to let us use his private plane,” I commented as Steve and I got comfortable in our seats. We were  _finally_  on our way to Bora-Bora, and we couldn’t wait. He smiled over at me, grabbing my hand and pulling it to his mouth to kiss it.

“Yes, along with paying for our room and everything,” he added. “You get to have me all to yourself for a whole month. No interruptions, no missions, just you, me and all the relaxation in the world.” He smiled again, his eyes crinkling in that oh so adorable way.

“You’ve definitely earned the right to relax. I’m just glad I get to be with you.” I snuggled up next to him, absentmindedly drawing patterns on his leg. After all the flight checks, we were taking off and flying over New York. We looked out the window and it was truly beautiful, the way it was all lit up. “Say goodbye to New York. It’ll be a whole month before we see it again,” I teased. He smirked before tickling my side.

“Baby, I went almost 70 years without seeing New York and lived. I think I’ll survive a month away. Besides,” he said, standing up and and offering his hand. “I’ll have an even better view.” His smile slowly turned wolfish as I took it and he pulled me into his arms. “If my memory is correct, there’s a body that I need to re-acquaint myself with.” My breathing faltered as he began to lavish my neck with kisses, nipping here and there. My body was so ready for him, and I almost let him have me, until Tony’s words from earlier came back to me:  _Don’t forget, there are cameras. If there’s nothing you want us to see, I’d wait._  My eyes snapped open and I pushed him away, panting. He gave me the most wounded look ever and I felt terrible.

“Steve, I want to, trust me, but remember what Tony said as we were leaving?” I asked. He huffed, throwing his head back and sighing. “Besides, I don’t want our first time as husband and wife to be on a plane.” I walked over to the stereo and fiddled with it, turning on some music. Our song, ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’ happened to come on as I went back to him, putting my arms around his neck. “Let’s dance for a bit. I’m not a fan, but for you I’ll make an exception.” He smiled, and we started dancing to pass time on our flight. Every so often I would grab his left hand and just stare at the gold band on it, still not believing that he was finally mine.

“See something you like?” he asked, chuckling. I looked up at him and grinned.

“Yes. That little piece of metal is proof that you are mine. Legally, spiritually, intimately, you are mine, and I am yours. Nothing can take you from me except death.” I walked over to look out the window and saw nothing but sky and ocean. “Except maybe a trip to New Jersey,” I called over my shoulder. His answering snort had me giggling, going into full-blown laughter as he swept me up into his arms.

“You swore you’d never go there again,” he growled. I looked him in the eye, touching my forehead to his.

“Yeah, as long as you promised to never drown me again,” I retorted. He swung me around a few times, making me laugh again.

“I wasn’t  _really_  trying to drown you,” he argued. “I was just trying to scare you.” It was my turn to snort at him.

“You scared me alright. I still hesitate when I get in there,” I shuddered, remembering my fear and panic from that day. He set me down and hugged me.

“I’m sorry. I won’t do that again, promise.” I hugged him back, feeling his apology in his embrace.

“I know. That’s why our house only has two floors and a staircase. No possible chances for you to try it again,” I mumbled against his chest. I felt him chuckle before we sat back down.

“So, what else can you tell me about our house?” he inquired.

“Not much. Just that it should be done by the time we get back. Oh, and that I left Bucky and Alice in charge of everything,” I added at the end. His jaw dropped, and suddenly I was questioning that decision. “Don’t worry. He and I actually have the same ideas about everything, so I’m confident that our house is in good hands.” He still seemed wary but made no more mention of it.

The pilot came over the intercom, telling us to buckle up as we began our descent. We held hands as the plane nosed down before landing on the airstrip. Once we got the okay, we unbuckled and disembarked, Steve carrying our luggage. We then boarded another, smaller plane that would take us to the local airport that was on the actual island we would be staying. Another flight and as we got off that plane, we were lei’d before being escorted to the waiting speedboat. 

Shit. I hadn’t counted on a boat. 

Steve carried me onboard, giving me a life jacket to wear until we got there. He, of course, didn’t put one on, which made him feel smug, judging by the sly smile he flashed my way. I squeezed his hand as we headed out, closing my eyes in a bid to not scare myself further. Before long, Steve was shaking me from the light slumber I had apparently fallen into, so we could get off the boat. We then followed the staff member down the dock to our hut, thanking them profusely as they left.

“Wait here,” he said, taking our suitcases inside before coming out and sweeping me into his arms again. “What? I’ve got to carry you over the threshold. It’s part of the job description.” I giggled at him as we got further inside. He stopped at the foot of the bed and set me down as we glanced around in awe.

This place was absolutely breathtaking. There were rose petals in the shape of a heart on the bed, and everything was…..perfect. I looked up at Steve to find him already staring back.

“Wow,” was all I managed before his lips crashed into mine. His hands were everywhere: fisting in my hair, grabbing my hip, cupping my breasts. My head was spinning from the intensity of his attack, and before I knew it, I was on the bed as he hovered over top of me, kissing and nipping at my neck. I could feel his erection rubbing against me, sending shocks of electric pleasure throughout my body. “Ohhhh, Steve,” I moaned as his hand made its way up under the hem of my dress, lightly caressing my inner thighs, straying away from where I needed him most.

“Evie, I think you need to take this off before it gets ruined,” he growled, grabbing a handful of my dress. I shivered at the arousal in his voice, sitting up and pulling it up over my head. I felt the bed rumble with his guttural groan as he saw my lingerie, and I’ve never seen him undress so quickly. He pulled the lace of my bra down, releasing my breast before wrapping his lips around my nipple, nipping and sucking at the flesh. He grabbed both sides and made to rip it apart, but I stopped him.

“No. I want to save these. Take them off gently, or this is going to be absolute torture for you,” I warned. He backed off, holding his hands up in surrender. I took the opportunity to get off the bed, reaching behind my back and slowly unclasping my bra and letting it fall to the floor. I did the same thing with the garter belt, then my panties, deliberately taking my time. Steve stared, a hungry look on his face. “What’s the matter, Captain? Cat got your tongue?” I joked, smirking at him. He launched himself at me, kissing greedily. When he had gotten his fill, he laid me down and dived in, attaching his mouth to my core. I groaned as I arched my back, all rational thought leaving my mind at the onslaught of finally feeling Steve. His tongue lapping up my arousal was all I could feel, until suddenly he pulled away.

“Why yes, this pussy  _does_  have my tongue,” he chuckled darkly, licking his lips in an obscene manner before diving right back in. I moaned, never wanting him to stop. He went on for awhile longer, bringing me to my first mind-blowing orgasm of the night.

“Ohhhhhhhhhh,” I drew out the word, my legs clamping shut around his head. Steve helped me ride out my high, pulling away when my body went slack. He began to stroke himself, waiting for me to perk back up. Once my strength came back, I sat up and pushed him back on the bed, settling between his legs. I took his cock in my hand, giving him a few pumps before taking his head into my mouth.

“Ffffffuck,” was all he managed to get out before he was struck silent with pleasure. I swirled my tongue around him before tracing the vein on the underside. I then began to bob on his length, using both hands to cover what I couldn’t fit in my mouth. I could feel his moans reverberate throughout his entire body as I continued, loving the feel of him under my hands and in my mouth.

Suddenly, I was back on my back and he was lining himself up at my entrance, pushing in with one thrust. We both moaned before he brought his lips to mine, allowing us to taste ourselves. Steve started to move, setting a rough but enjoyable pace. 

He threaded his fingers with mine, moving our joined hands to a spot above my head, leaving little room between our bodies. I could feel another orgasm building when he stopped, pulling out entirely and panting.

“Steve, what the hell?” I asked, trying to figure out what had gone wrong. He kissed me again, his length, warm and throbbing, against my leg.

“It’s our first time as husband and wife, I want it to last” he explained, letting go of my hands and holding me close. He reached down and positioned himself at my opening again, pushing in slowly, making sure we felt the delicious drag of skin on skin.

God,  _why_  does he have to feel so fucking good inside me? Oh, that’s right, we were literally made to fit each other perfectly.

We began a slow and tortuous pace, Steve pulling out when his climax threatened to overcome him. Any other time, it would have bothered me, but it was our honeymoon. We weren’t going to rush anything. After some time, not sure how long, he began to speed up, chasing his orgasm. I was so close myself that I wasn’t going to let anything stop us, so I began to meet his thrusts with my own, settling into a rhythm and getting him to hit that one spot every time. Steve and I gave one last deep push and we came together, finally finding our release and consummating our union. Steve slowly slid from me and rolled, landing on his back next to me. We laid there for a moment, catching our breath before I turned to him and snuggled into his side.

“That was amazing,” I sighed in contentment. He chuckled, rubbing my arm.

“Told you it would be worth it to lay off sex before the wedding,” he bragged. I got up on one elbow and looked down at him. He grinned and I couldn’t help but smile back.

“Okay fine, you were right. That’s the only time you’ll hear me say that though,” I joked back. I settled onto my back again, my eyes growing heavy. I looked over at the clock on the table and realized that I had been awake for over 24 hours. “I don’t know about you Steve, but I’m going to get something comfy on and get some sleep.” I went to roll over but he pulled me tight to his chest.

“Noooo, stay with me,” he whined. “I had to spend the whole day without seeing you. I’m not done with you yet.” He grinned wickedly, rubbing himself against me to show me exactly what he meant. I groaned (internally) before pushing against his chest.

“Steve, baby, please. I’m exhausted. Not all of us can operate on as little sleep as you super soldiers do,” I chided, ending in a yawn. He chuckled before letting me go, sitting up to grab some clothes as well. I opened my suitcase and looked through everything before settling on Alice’s wedding gift, a shirt and short set with the word ‘Wifey’ written on the front. 

I pulled them on and got under the covers, watching as Steve walked to his suitcase in his birthday suit. “Now that is a sight that I could watch all day,” I admired out loud. He turned and grinned widely at me.

“I’m going to take a quick look around and then I’ll join you, okay?” I nodded as he pulled a pair of shorts on.

“On his honeymoon, and he still has to check the perimeter,” I mumbled sleepily.

“I heard that.”

I giggled as I closed my eyes. “You’re still in Captain America mode honey. Last I checked, I married Steve Rogers.” I felt the bed shift as he slid under the covers.

“Yeah, yeah. It’s hard for me to switch it off,” he whispered in my ear as he wrapped his arms around me. “Love you, Evie.”

“Love you more Steve.” We laid there listening to the sound of the ocean as we fell into a deep sleep.

#

I woke up a few hours later to the smell of food. I sat up and stretched as Steve walked to the bed holding a tray laden with the yummiest looking food I’d seen in a while.

“Talk about a dream come true,” I started. “Waking up in the most amazing place I’ve ever been, and having food brought to me in bed?” He looked at me, his mouth opened in shock.

“Really? That’s your fantasy?” Steve asked, incredulous. I laughed at his reaction before going on.

“Yes, once you add in that the sexiest man in the world, who also happens to be my loving husband, is the one bringing me the food and he’s wearing what suspiciously looks like nothing but a towel,” I noted, eyeing his lower half. He smirked at me, shaking his hips.

“I take it you’re hungry then?” I rolled my eyes at the implied meaning.

“Yes, but for food. Let me eat, then maybe we can take care of your other appetite,” I teased, opening a banana and licking it seductively. He chuckled darkly at my antics, adjusting himself through his towel. I spent the next few minutes eating my breakfast as sexily as possible, a noticeable tent growing.

Finally, after I had gotten my fill, Steve made to remove his towel, only for us to be interrupted by a staff member of the resort coming by for the tray. I handed it to her and thanked her while Steve stood off in the corner, face red with embarrassment. Once she had left, I laid back down on the bed, beckoning my husband over with a crook of my finger. He stalked to the bed and we spent the next hour enjoying dessert.

#

Once we had recovered from round something or other, we got dressed and decided to explore the rest of the resort.

There was so much to do here, and we only had a month to do all of it, or at least most of it. I have a feeling that we’d be spending most of our time testing the limits of our bed.

#

One night, after being here for almost two weeks, Steve and I had just finished a rather intense session of lovemaking when he tucked me into his side as we laid in postcoital bliss.

“So,” he started, catching his breath before going on. “I never really got a chance to ask you that day, but was the wedding and everything how you wanted it to be?” I smiled as I sat up and looked down at him.

“Yes, everything was perfect!” I exclaimed. “My stage fright almost got the better of me towards the end, but other than that it was the best day of my life. Ya know, apart from the day we got together and the day we got engaged,” I added on when he snorted.

“Stage fright huh?” I felt my face burn with shame.

“Yes. I had a little freak-out, but I had a little help and was able to calm down.” He sat up and put an arm around me.

“Buck’s always been good for that, and that’s why he’d make one hell of a dad.” Steve smiled sadly to himself. I sighed.

Two weeks. I was wondering how long it would take before he brought Bucky up.

“Yes, he would. You will too, when we start our family,” I assured him. He turned to me, and for the first time since we got here, Steve looked distraught. “Hey what’s wrong?” I cooed as I rubbed his back.

“I’m just worried about moving away from him.” He sniffled, and I felt terrible. “I just got him back, and now, I have to leave him.” He bowed his head, and I could tell that he was starting to cry.

“Baby, it’s okay. You’ll still see him. He'll still get to be Uncle Bucky, I promise.” He lifted his head and I was able to wipe the tears from his face. I clambered onto his lap and held him tightly against my chest, where his tears began again. I sat there with him cradled against me, letting him cry his heart out.

When he was done, he tilted his head back and kissed me deeply, conveying everything he couldn’t say with his actions.

“C’mon, let’s get some sleep.”

The next morning, I woke up to Steve placing kisses along my spine.

[Originally posted by sensualkisses](https://tmblr.co/ZHBgvh2AAcqK9)

“Good morning to you too,” I mumbled into my pillow. I felt the bed shift as he straddled the backs of my thighs, his cock hard against my ass. “Someone’s happy.” He continued to kiss his way up my body, stopping at my ear.

“Well, I was thinking,” he whispered huskily as he nibbled at my earlobe.

“I thought I smelled bacon!” I exclaimed suddenly, looking over my shoulder at him. The stunned expression that crossed his face was Kodak-moment worthy. He began to tickle me, his earlier mood forgotten. “Alright, Uncle!” I shouted after we had wrestled around for a while and he let up.

“Now, back to what I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted,” he snarked as he sat next to me. “I was thinking that maybe we could not wait to start a family.” I tried my best to not let my shock show.

When Alice and Bucky told us that she couldn’t have kids, it got us to thinking about if and when we wanted to have children of our own. I knew that Mr. Traditional would want to wait until we were married before trying, and I had been right. Before the wedding, we had agreed that we would wait until after our first anniversary, so we could at least have a year to be Captain and Mrs. Rogers before we had to start going by Mommy and Daddy. I was perfectly fine with that arrangement. I was in no hurry, and I thought that Steve wasn’t either.

Apparently, I was wrong.

I could understand where he was coming from though. He’s waited over 70 years to have a family, so why should he wait any longer? I’m his wife now, so there was no reason to wait.

But, our conversation last night came back to the forefront of my mind. If he’s worried about leaving Bucky behind, how do I know Bucky isn’t the reason he wants to start having kids now?

I looked up at him, running my fingers through his beard. “Is this solely because you want to start our family, or is this because you want an excuse to continue to see Bucky whenever you want?” He looked away, not able to meet my eyes. “Is Bucky the driving force behind every decision you make?” I snapped, honestly a little upset.

“No, not everything I do is about Bucky,” he said quietly. I sat up, wanting to be on a level field with him.

“But he’s the reason you’re wanting to start trying now instead of after our anniversary, right?” I cut across him when he tried to go on.

“No, it’s not like that!” he exclaimed, slapping his hands on the bed. “I’ve wanted a family with you for so long, and now that we’re together, I don’t want to wait anymore.” He looked so agitated with me, but hey, the feeling is mutual buddy. “And yeah, Bucky and I grew up together, so I’d like our kids to grow up with him in their lives too.” I nodded, glad he finally admitted the truth.

“I understand that. Really, I do.” I grabbed his hands in mine. “But I want us to start a family because we both want to, not because you feel like you have to compete with Bucky.” He huffed at me in irritation.

“I don’t want to compete with him. I just want what he wants, a family.” He leaned forward and kissed me, cradling my face in his hands. “I know we had agreed on waiting, but haven’t we waited long enough? Had I not been such an idiot and told you how I felt way back when, we could have had two or three kids by now, possibly a fourth on the way.”

Whoa. Four kids? Just how many did he want?

“Uh, wow. You’re ambitious, aren’t you?” I stammered, a bit floored by his admission. “Well, it’s a four bedroom house, so maybe three is our limit? We can always add on more rooms later if we decide to have more.” He chuckled as he kissed the tip of my nose.

“So, what do ya say? Can we start trying?”

Oh no, not those damn puppy dog eyes.

I sighed, casting my eyes around the room. “Is that what you really want, Steve? To start a family now?” I asked solemnly, making sure to meet his eyes.

“Yes, more than anything,” he answered with such conviction, there was no way I could doubt him. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I had all the power here, and we both knew it, but the question is, how was I going to use it?

“If it really means that much to you, then yes. Let’s start our family,” I told him, and his answering smile was so bright, the sun needed to wear shades. He attached his lips to mine, pushing me back onto the bed. “Hey, hold on,” I muttered around his kissing. “I’m still on birth control, so it’s gonna be awhile before it takes. There’s no rush, baby.” He stopped his assault on my neck to look at me.

“So? There’s no harm in practicing, is there? You know what they say; practice makes perfect.” He resumed his kissing.

When you’re right, you’re right.

#

The rest of our honeymoon passed rather quickly. If we weren’t out exploring, we were holed up in our hut. There would be times that we would sneak out at night and actually have sex on the beach, which to be honest isn’t all that great. Sand gets everywhere, but hey, it’s sex with Captain America.

One night, as we laid in bed trying to fall asleep, Steve started chuckling to himself.

“What’s so funny?” I asked, now awake.

“I was just thinking about the night that we met,” he explained.

“Oh. How is that funny?” I was honestly curious as to how it could be funny at all.

“Well, I just got to wondering about how far we’ve come since then.” He placed a kiss to my forehead. “When we met, would you have ever imagined that we’d end up here, married and trying to start a family?” It was my turn to laugh as I remembered that night.

**_******FLASHBACK******_ **

I was standing next to Tony, who was talking my ear off about how  _amazing_  he was during the Battle of New York when I happened to catch Agent Romanoff’s eye. She smiled before leading some guy over to us. As they got closer, I could see that he was incredibly good looking; tall, broad shoulders, very defined muscles that strained through his too-tight shirt.

“Steve, this is the woman who works with Bruce, Dr. Evelyn Collins. Doc, this is Captain Steve Rogers.” Oooh, military. Probably has a wife and kids already. Oh well, I can still look with my eyes and not with my hands, though.

“Evelyn,” the Captain greeted, extending his hand. I took it, smiling at him.

“Captain. Please, call me Evie,” I corrected. “Evelyn makes me feel old.” He smiled back at me, and I felt my stomach flip over on itself. He’s definitely a stunner.

“As long as you call me Steve,” he countered, to which I nodded.

“Deal. So, you having fun tonight?” He looked around and sighed.

“I guess. These kinda parties are a little too new for me,” he lamented. Too new? I vaguely noticed that Romanoff and Tony had vanished, leaving us alone.

“This isn’t that bad. Wait until Tony throws one, I’ve heard that they’re legendary.” He chuckled, looking around for him.

“If he’s anything like Howard, I can believe it.” I tilted my head to the side. How would he know about Stark’s dad? Hmm, dude must be some kind of history buff.

“I guess,” I shrugged. “So, are you from New York?” I hate trying to make small talk, especially when my company looks like he was literally sculpted by the gods and I look like I’m sculpted by a two-year-old. He chuckled again, another perfect smile on his perfect face.

“Yep. Born and raised. It’s changed a lot since I was a kid, though.” What is this guy’s deal? He didn’t look much older than me, and yet he acts like he’s seen New York in a completely different era. I snorted.

“It couldn’t have changed that much. You’re like what, late ’20s, early ’30s? The world hasn’t changed that much since we were kids,” I scoffed. He stared at me in shock for a bit before recovering.

“You don’t know who I am, do you?” he asked, almost cockily. I made the universal ‘I don’t know’ face before he went on. “I’m Steve Rogers.” Well, duh. Nat said that.

“I know, Nat told me that,” I retorted. He sighed again.

“ _Captain_  Steve Rogers,” he said, stressing his title.

“And?” I asked, starting to get irritated. He huffed in exasperation before smiling at me again.

“You must be the only person who doesn’t know who I am,” he laughed.

“I guess,” I answered. He took a deep breath, a slight blush coming over his cheeks.

“I’m…you know…Cap-”

“Ah, there you are Evie,” Bruce called suddenly as he appeared at my side. “There’s someone I want you to meet….” he trailed off, looking between Steve and I. “Oh good, you’ve already met.” I rolled my eyes.

“Yeah, this is Steve Rogers. I’m sorry,  _Captain_  Steve Rogers,” I sassed. Steve looked embarrassed while Bruce looked scandalized.

“Evie,” he chastised, nudging my side. “This is Steve Rogers. You know, Captain America.”

Holy.

Shit.

I’ve been making a fool of myself in front of  _the_  Captain America? What fresh hell is this?

I felt the color drain from my face as I realized that I had been back talking Captain America.

“I am so sorry,” I stammered. “I’ve heard stories but I never thought I’d actually meet you.” Bruce snorted as he slid away into the crowd, leaving me alone with the Captain again.

“It’s alright,” he said, waving my apology aside. “It was actually really nice being talked to like a normal person and not him. Most people recognize me and start going on and all that jazz. This was a great change of pace.” I tilted my head again.

“People really talk to you like that? They talk to Cap and not you?” I asked to which he nodded solemnly. I can’t believe it. “That’s stupid. You were Steve Rogers before Captain America. It’s not like you died and came back a different person. You’re standing right in front of me, not as him, but as Steve.” He gaped at me for a while before breaking into the biggest grin ever.

Oh my god. That smile can stop hearts and launch a thousand ships. Wow.

“Thank you, Evie,” he gushed, closing the distance between us and pulling me into a bone-crushing hug. I could die happy now. “You have no idea how good that makes me feel to hear you say that.” He let me go after a few more minutes, and I have to say I felt cold afterward. He was so warm, I’d like to snuggle up with him at night.

Whoa, where did that come from?

“Well, it’s true,” I replied, shaking my head slightly to clear it. “You’re Steve Rogers at the beginning and end of the day. It’s only when you put the suit on and pick up the shield that you’re Cap.” He smiled again before chuckling to himself.

“Thank you again. You know, that  _almost_  makes up for all that sassin’ you were doin’ earlier,” he teased. I hung my head in shame.

“You’re not going to let me live that down, are you?” I asked, smirking up at him. He shook his head.

“Nope. Back in my day, we had this thing called ‘respect for your elders’. Kinda disappointing to see that it’s gone now,” he lamented, returning my smirk. Oh, is that how he wants to play this? Okay.

“Well for one, you don’t look like no elder,  _sir_ ,” I snarked. “Wait, what year were you born in?” He rolled his eyes and pursed his lips.

“1918.” I did the math in my head and started laughing.

“You are literally 70 years older than me, which means you’re old enough to be my great-grandfather. I  _guess_  you’ve earned my respect,” I teased. We both laughed for a moment before I stopped, taking a drink. “Well, I think I better head to bed. Got a lot of stuff I have to do tomorrow and I have to get up early.” Steve set his drink down.

“May I escort you to the elevator? Maybe give you a ride home?” Oh man. The ’40s are strong in this one.

“I live here in the Tower. Since I work with Bruce, it makes it easier for me to stay here,” I explained. He nodded his head, looking a bit sad.

“May I walk you to your door then?” He needs to stop being so damn cute! I shrugged.

“It’s a free country. You oughta know, you fought for it.” Steve grinned, offering his arm, to which I took. We got in the elevator, taking it up to the residential floors. We stood in companionable silence, sneaking glances at each other and smiling when we got caught. Once the doors opened, we got out, my arm linked with his as we walked to my door. “This is me. Thank you, Steve. It was nice meeting you.” He smiled, bringing my hand to his lips and placing a kiss to it.

“The pleasure was all mine, Evie. Good night,” he wished me as he walked down the hall.

“Good night,” I wished back as I stepped into my room.

_*******END FLASHBACK******* _

“I would have never guessed, not in a million years, that I was meeting my future husband that night.” I leaned up, smiling as I kissed him back. “When did you know that I was the one for you?” I asked quietly.

“Oh, I’m pretty sure a part of me knew it that night, but I chose to ignore it so I wouldn’t get my hopes up. When did you know?” I took a deep breath and let it out in a huff, thinking.

“I think a part of me knew then too, but I didn’t admit it to myself until after S.H.I.E.L.D fell,” I replied. “Knowing that you were willing to become a fugitive and destroy S.H.I.E.L.D, just to take HYDRA down once and for all, really showed what kind of man you are.” His arms wrapped around me as he claimed my lips, pushing me to my back.

“When you helped Clint and Wanda escape to come help in Berlin, that’s when I finally admitted it to myself,” he rasped after a few moments of fevered kissing. “You were willing to defy Tony in my honor. That takes balls.” He continued to lavish my neck with kisses, his evident elation pressing against my thigh. I tickled his side, using his temporary distraction to roll him to his back as I straddled his legs.

“Balls huh?” I teased. “I’ll show you balls.” With that, I ducked under the blanket, my tongue pulling a moan from him, cutting off his reply.

All too soon, it was the night before we would return home. We had just come back from dinner, where we sat under the stars and had the most amazing meal ever. 

Steve had stopped us about halfway back to the hut and we had stood there, gazing into each other’s eyes, alone in our own little bubble. When we had leaned in to kiss, however, it was like our first night together all over again. We couldn’t keep our hands off each other, and as we worked our way inside, we left a trail of clothing, courtesy of Steve. In what is the sexiest move he’s ever pulled, he showed off how strong he actually is and literally ripped the clothing from our bodies. If I wasn’t hot for him already, I was for sure after that.

He deposited me on the bed and climbed over top, aligning himself at my entrance and thrusting in at once. I moaned as he began a relentless pace.

 All you could hear was the sound of waves crashing against the shore, punctuated by grunts and whimpers of pleasure. After he had brought me to several orgasms, Steve finally came, hot spurts of his come coating my walls. He withdrew from me as he went limp, collapsing on the bed beside me.

“I love you so much Evie,” he whispered, so much emotion in his declaration it had me tearing up.

“I love you too, Steve,” I whispered back, snuggling into his chest. We fell asleep then, waking up every so often to make love to each other again. It was a wonderful ending to our already incredible honeymoon.


	23. Chapter 23

I could sense the light shining in the window through my eyelids. I rolled over, feeling for Steve’s body when I encountered cold sheets. Sighing, I opened my eyes to search for my husband.

Husband. God I love calling him that. I glanced around for something to put on since Steve had ripped all of my nightgowns. Upon finding nothing, I grabbed a fluffy robe and slipped it on before wandering around to find Steve. I finally found him standing at our balcony, a towel wrapped around his waist, his broad torso bare.

“There you are,” I called out, wrapping my arms around his waist and settled my cheek against his back. He turned around to face me and the tortured look on his face shook me to my core.

“We go home today,” he stated in a flat tone. His eyes were red around the edges and he kept sniffling, evidence that he had been crying for a while before I woke up.

“Yeah we do,” I agreed softly. “You okay?” I asked him, reaching up to cradle his face in my hands. He sniffled again and tears began to slide down his cheeks.

“No. Do we have to go home now? Can’t we stay longer?” he begged. I chuckled humorlessly, knowing his reasoning behind his question. The longer we stay here, the longer before he has to say goodbye to Bucky for a long time. But therein lies the rub; the longer we’re here, the longer he goes without seeing Bucky at all. I wiped his tears away.

“Yes baby, we do. Don’t you want to see our house?” I smiled up at him, hoping to get his mind off Bucky.

“Yeah,” he answered after a brief silence. I scowled up at him.

“Geez don’t sound so excited.” I stepped out of his arms and turned to go start packing. He followed me back to our bedroom and grabbed my wrist, pulling me to his chest.  

“Hey, I am excited. I’m just not looking forward to saying goodbye to Bucky again.” He placed the tip of his finger under my chin and tilted my head up. “I do want to see our house. Honest.” I frowned.

“You just want to see Bucky. I’m hip to your game mister. C’mon let’s pack so I can get you back to the real love of your life.” I stomped over to my suitcase and began going through everything, making sure I had everything I arrived with. Steve wrapped his arms around my middle and hugged me.

“Evie, don’t be like that. You know I love you more than anything. I can’t wait to start our life together on our own,” he argued. I shrugged him off.

“You’re a terrible liar Steven Grant. Your nightmares are getting worse. All I hear is ‘no Bucky’ or ‘please don’t take Bucky’ or ‘leave Bucky alone’ all night long. Starting to wonder if maybe you married the wrong person.” His hands dropped and I felt him step away. I finished packing before grabbing my clothes for the day and turned around to find him glaring at me. I may have been feeling bold before, but that was all gone now. The look on his face was the most intense I’ve seen in awhile.

“Evelyn, I’ve been wanting to marry you for years. You are the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. Don’t ever question that.” He stalked forward and cradled my face in his hands. “Yes, I love Bucky. He’s my best friend and the brother I never had. He will always have a special place in my life, but you are my everything and that will never change.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “I’m sorry I make you feel like Bucky means more to me than you do. He’s been a part of my life for so long that having to say goodbye, even for a short time, is incredibly difficult.” He sat on the bed and motioned for me to join him.

“I understand that he means a lot to you, but it’s not goodbye for forever. You’ll still see him, just not every day.” He sighed, his shoulders slumping.

“I know. It’s just hard to let him go. I worry about him so much.” I rubbed his back as I kissed his cheek.

“Bucky’s got Alice now. Let her worry about him. You know she won’t let anything happen to him. Now, I’m going to jump in the shower, and you’re gonna join me.” He smirked at me before throwing me over his shoulder and marching into the bathroom.

“As you wish, Mrs. Rogers.”

#

After our shower (that was twice as long because apparently I didn’t get ‘clean enough’ the first time around), we finally got dressed and our bags packed. The joy of being able to use Tony’s private plane was that we didn’t have to go through all the crap at the airport, so we boarded and got comfortable for the long flight. We knew Tony had some sort of surveillance, so we painstakingly kept our hands to ourselves, not even daring to kiss for fear we might not contain our hormones.

Finally, the plane touched down and as we disembarked, I saw Bucky waiting on the tarmac next to his truck. We approached him, and as Steve got into arms reach he enveloped Bucky in a hug. I sighed as I stowed my suitcase in the bed before walking past them.

“I’ll give you two lovebirds some privacy and the front seats as I climb in back,” I snarked playfully. They paid me no mind as they continued to hug each other. I rolled my eyes and got in the back seat, pulling out my phone. I didn’t really use my phone a lot while we were gone, what with all the fun and ‘beach blanket boinko’. I was scrolling through my social media apps when Bucky and Steve got in the truck as well.

“Nice to see you, Evie,” Bucky sheepishly greeted. I leaned forward so he could see my face.

“Oh, you talkin’ to me? I’m surprised you even noticed I was here,” I snapped. I leaned back in my seat, making eye contact with him in the rear view mirror. A silent agreement was made without Steve being the wiser. The drive back to the Tower was silent, all parties knowing what was about to happen.

Bucky turned into the parking garage and parked. We all slowly got out, wanting to prolong the inevitable goodbyes. We got on the elevator and headed up to where the team was waiting for us. The door opened and we were met with a chorus of ‘Welcome Home!’ from everyone. We went through and hugged everyone, sitting down to chat for a bit.

“So, how was Bora-Bora? I’ve never been there, but I’ve heard great things about it,” Sam asked. Steve and I shared a smile before he answered.

“It was amazing. Absolutely spectacular. Thank you again, Tony.” Tony nodded at us.

“Oh it was no problem. Tell me though, is your little…hut on the water still standing?” He asked with his trademark smirk. Everyone turned to us expectantly, wanting to know as well. I chuckled at Tony’s boldness.

“Yes, it’s still standing. But I will say this, it’s not from lack of trying.” Everyone laughed until we heard a gagging noise. Bruce was making a disgusted face. “Oh. Sorry dad.” He shook his head, as if he was trying to shake the words out of his head.

“Yeah that’s the kind of thing a father wants to hear about; his daughter’s honeymoon, which was apparently filled with rounds of vigorous sex with her super-soldier husband. Excuse me while I go vomit.” We all burst out laughing again as I grabbed Bruce’s hand to keep him from leaving.

“What exactly did you think would happen? We’d just sit there and stare at the walls?” He glared at me, clearly not appreciating the fun I was poking at him. “Okay we’ll steer the conversation away from sex. Deal?” He nodded.

“You guys ready to see your house?” Scott asked, switching the topic, Bruce sighing gratefully. Steve and I nodded enthusiastically.

“Oh yes. The last time Steve saw it was when they had poured the foundation and we had put our handprints in it. Last time I saw it was when they were in the process of framing everything. So yeah, we’re excited to see it all completed.” I beamed at Steve, ready to start our new life together. Bucky stood up then, making a point to check the time.

“We should probably get going, cause Alice and I have to drive back and I don’t like being out late at night.” My smile vanished, along with Steve’s as we realized it was time to say goodbye to everyone. We stood up as well and began our goodbyes. I started with Bruce, hugging him tightly.

“I’ll come up to visit you soon, I promise. Stay safe,” he whispered in my ear. It was incredibly hard not to cry, but like I had told Steve earlier, it’s not for forever. “Love you Evie. Don’t forget that.”

“I love you too dad,” I whispered back, inhaling quickly to keep the tears from falling. I could see everyone saying their goodbyes over Bruce’s shoulder, but I didn’t want to let go. “I’ll see you soon and you better stay safe too. I mean it.” He chuckled before letting me go, wiping a couple tears away. He went to say goodbye to Steve as I made my way through everyone else.

“Rogers, you better keep my girl safe. I find out anything happened to her, I’m gonna kick your ass,” We all heard Bruce threaten. Steve pulled back to look him in the eye.

“Dr. Banner, I swore in front of you, our friends, and multiple gods that no harm will come to her and I intend on keeping that promise.” I walked up and Steve put his arm around me. “But if anything does happen to her on my watch, you better come kick my ass.” My two favorite men shook hands and I walked with my husband to the elevator, Bucky and Alice right behind us.

We waved goodbye one last time as the door shut before it descended to the parking garage. We were all silent as we got back into Bucky’s truck and headed out to our house. The drive was long, but I could tell by the way Steve was squeezing my hand that it would never be long enough.

“Alright you two, there’s your house up ahead,” Alice pointed out after a while. Steve and I both looked out the front windshield and my jaw dropped. It was beautiful, even better looking than the stock photos. 

I looked over at Steve and he was just as shocked as I was. Bucky pulled up to the garage door and parked so we could all get out. Bucky turned to us with a grin.

“Welcome home. Here’s your house key. We’ll hang back while you take a quick look,” he instructed while taking it out of his pocket and handing it to Steve. I grabbed his hand as we walked to the front door. Steve unlocked it, but before I could step inside, he threw his arm out to stop me.

“Tradition states that the husband must carry his wife across the threshold upon entering their home for the first time,” he explained. I chuckled at his antics. Mr. Traditional. He held his arms out to me. “So, if you don’t mind, Mrs. Rogers.” I rolled my eyes but grinned anyway as I let him scoop me up and carry me inside.

Oh my god. I have no words for how amazing everything turned out. The paint colors, the flooring, the cabinets, you name it. It was exactly as I saw it in my head. I’m so glad I left Bucky and Alice in charge of everything.

We made it to the kitchen and I had to stop and catch my breath as Steve set me down. This was my dream kitchen. Everything was top of the line and it looked incredible. I couldn’t wait to start cooking. Bucky and Alice walked in then, grinning.

“So, judging by the amazed looks on your faces, I take it that you like how everything turned out?” Bucky asked, amused. I grinned back before walking over and hugging him tightly.

“Yes, and we haven’t even seen the whole house! You guys did such a wonderful job decorating.  Thank you so much!” I turned and gave Alice a hug as well since it was more than likely her decorating skills on display than Bucky’s.

“Good. I’m glad you like it then,” she replied. “No need to thank me but I took the liberty of stocking your kitchen with food and the good kind of tea.” I gave her my best-unimpressed look as she told there looking incredibly smug.

“Gee, thanks. ‘Cause we’re such big tea drinkers. You shouldn’t have,” I said with the flattest tone I could muster. She stuck her tongue out at me, making me laugh.

“Har Har. It’s mainly for when we visit, since I  _am_  a tea drinker,” she retorted. I glanced over at Steve, and my heart sank. He and Bucky were over in the corner, both looking like they were at a funeral. I got Alice’s attention, and we grimaced.

“I know this is hard for them, but don’t you feel like maybe they’re with the wrong people?” I whispered. She shrugged as they both walked over to us.

“You know we can hear you, right?” Steve snapped. I rolled my eyes at him before stretching up to kiss his cheek.

“Yes I know. I was trying to lighten the mood a bit. Sorry,” I replied, holding my hands up in surrender. He pulled me to his chest, kissing the top of my head. “When do you guys need to leave to make it back to the Tower?” I asked Bucky and Alice, turning in Steve’s arms so my back was to his front.

“Well, I guess here shortly,” Bucky sighed dejectedly, looking down at Alice. “It’ll be dark somewhat soon, and although we’ve been driving out here quite a bit while you were gone, I’m still not familiar with the area.” He looked like a puppy that’s been kicked by its owner. We all stood there for a while, letting the gravity of the moment sink in. I stepped away from Steve and linked arms with Alice.

“We’re gonna step outside and give you two some privacy,” I said quietly, gently pulling her out the front door. We walked over to Bucky’s truck and I gave her a hug. “Thank you so much Alice. For everything. You’ve been such a lifesaver these past few months. Hell, since you guys came back from Wakanda really.” She shrugged it off, not wanting to take that much credit.

“Oh shut it. It was nothing,” she grumbled. We laughed before we heard gravel crunching and were joined by our men, both looking like they were never going to see each other again.

“You alright love?” Alice asked Bucky. He sniffed and nodded, trying to keep his composure. She rubbed his arm sympathetically, turning to Steve. “You okay Steve?” He nodded, wiping tears from his cheek. I rubbed his back soothingly, knowing what was about to come.

“Well, I guess you two better get going, so you make it home before dark,” I finally said after the four of us stood there in silence for a good while. I detached myself from Steve and pulled Bucky into a hug. “Take care of Alice, yeah?” I murmured in his ear. He squeezed me tightly, conveying everything he wasn’t able to say. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Steve and Alice hugging as well, and although I couldn’t hear him, I was certain that Steve was begging Alice to keep Bucky safe.

Bucky released me before turning to Steve and embracing him once again. The two men stood there in each other’s arms, not wanting to let the other go. It suddenly made me realize that the last time Bucky left Steve, that Bucky could remember, was when he was shipping out with the Army.

Finally, after what seemed like forever (but obviously not long enough in their eyes), they broke apart. I linked my arm with Steve’s as Alice and Bucky climbed into the truck and began to drive away, and I could feel Steve tensing up as if he wanted to chase after them. We waved until we could no longer see or hear the truck, but as I tugged on his arm to go back in the house, he wouldn’t move.

“Steve,” I called to him, even though he was right next to me. “C’mon baby. Let’s go back inside and finish exploring the house.” I watched him for a bit, realizing that he wasn’t going to move unless I gave him a really good reason to. An idea suddenly came to me and I grinned. “Hey baby, remember what I wore underneath my dress for the charity gala?” I asked as I stretched up to kiss his neck. He made a noise of contentment, understanding and desire as I continued my assault on every bit of skin I could reach. “I was thinking that I could go put it on, and then we could play a game of hide and seek,” I whispered as I nibbled on his earlobe. He pulled back and looked at me, and I could see his eyes were lust-blown.

“Hide and seek huh?” he replied huskily. Ding ding ding. We’ve got a winner. I gazed up at him through my eyelashes as I cupped him through his pants, causing him to hiss at the contact.

“Yeah, unless you wanna stay out here all night,” I teased. He grinned his wolfy grin and I ran for the front door, giggling as he scooped me up and ran up the stairs to our bedroom.

“You know, as much as I love seeing you in garters and stockings, I don’t think I can wait that long,” he confessed, placing me on our absolutely giant bed and climbing up my body.

“Well, I’ll have you know-” Steve silenced me with a searing kiss, which led to other things that effectively stopped my train of thought.

#

“Evie, baby, we gotta take a break. I’m exhausted,” Steve gasped, slumping back against the bed. I smirked to myself as I rolled off him and laid at his side. It’s not everyday I wear Captain America out. Mission accomplished.

“Alright fine. How about I make you something to eat and then we can go explore the rest of the house?” I offered. He nodded enthusiastically before getting out of bed to put his clothes back on. “You know, it’s a good thing we live all the way out here. No one will be able to see all of the hickies that you leave on me,” I grumbled, pulling on my own clothes.

He chuckled before smacking my ass on his way out the door. I giggled as I followed him down into the kitchen. Once I found everything I needed, I made both of us a club sandwich with pickles and chips on the side.

“Damn baby, that’s one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had,” he complimented, rubbing his stomach. I smiled as I cleared both plates.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. Come on, let’s check out everything. I put a few things in that I think you will love.” I held my hand out for him to take and I led him to the big room, and I heard him gasp.

“We have our own movie theatre?” he asked in disbelief. I nodded.

“You have 70 years worth of movies to catch up on still, so why not do it in style?” He looked down at me and grinned.

“Thanks, babe. Can’t wait to get started. What are the other surprises you have for me?” I couldn’t help but smile back at him as I led him to the next room.

“How about your own personal gym?” I countered, stepping aside as he checked the equipment out. “I had Bucky and Sam figure out which machines you liked best so I could put those in here. You gotta stay in shape somehow, right?” I smirked at him when he turned back to me.

“Wow. This is amazing. Thanks baby. I love it,” he said, walking to give me a hug. I pointed over his shoulder.

“Let’s check out upstairs. We can see where our children will grow up.” We trudged up the staircase, loving the view out the windows. We went through all the rooms, stopping when Steve saw the garage out the window.

“Why is the garage so tall?” he asked. I shrugged.

“I dunno. I think it’s storage room? Actually, I’m really confused so let’s find out what’s up there.” We ran downstairs, cutting through the mudroom and through the walkway to the garage. We opened the door and went up the stairs.

“Well howdy neighbors!” Bucky greeted us from the couch. I snuck a peek at Steve and the dumbfounded look on his face was priceless.

“Bucky?” Bucky laughed at the shock on his best friend’s face.

“Who were you expecting, Colonel Phillips?” he snickered. “Yes, it’s me. Alice is here too.” She waved, a devilish smirk on her face. Steve turned to me, his jaw still open.

“Careful sweetheart. You’ll catch flies that way,” I chastised, using my index finger to shut his mouth. He recovered then, blinking rapidly.

“Evie, why are they here? We saw them leave.” He was completely lost.

“This is my wedding gift to you. You got me a house, so I got you Bucky,” I clarified. “I struggled trying to find you a wedding gift that was as amazing as a house.” I gave him a quick hug before going on. “Bucky and Alice are retiring with us. This is their half. They get to stay with us.” If there was ever a look of sheer joy, Steve’s face was it.

“Bucky gets to stay? Forever?” he asked incredulously. I nodded.

“Yes.”

Steve grabbed me in a tight hug before releasing me and grabbing ahold of Bucky. I could hear him start to gasp and whimper again, so Alice and I took advantage of the moment and snuck out, heading back to the kitchen.

“Well, that was a surprise well worth the wait,” Alice sighed. I grinned at her.

“Yes, it was. You hungry at all? I could make you a sandwich,” I offered. She shook her head no.

“No we grabbed something to eat before we came back.” I nodded in understanding before grabbing a couple water bottles from the fridge and handed one to her. “Thanks. I was getting ready to ask for something to drink though,” she laughed. A teary-eyed Bucky and Steve came in after awhile, standing next to us and we hugged them tightly.

“You guys okay?” I asked them. They both nodded before smiling wide at me.

“We’re great, now that Stevie knows the big secret,” Bucky joked. Steve squeezed me, lifting me off the ground a bit before putting me down.

“How did I get so lucky to get such an amazing woman like you for a wife?” he wondered out loud, kissing the tip of my nose. “You literally got me my best friend. I love you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me. Thank you baby,” he crooned, kissing me deeply.

I grinned up at him. “I’m glad you like your gift.” I looked over at our friends before scrunching my face up and looking back at Steve. “There’s no need for me to return it, is there?” I asked jokingly. He frowned at me before shaking his head.

“No. A million times no. This is one gift that I am more than happy to keep.” We all chuckled at his words. “How about we go watch a movie on our movie screen?” I nodded before checking with Bucky and Alice, who also agreed.

“Awesome. Let me make some popcorn and find some other snacks while you guys pick out a movie and I’ll meet you there,” I offered. The three of them went to get comfy while I stated to prepare snacks. I found popcorn and stuck one in the microwave while I searched my kitchen to see where everything was put away at.

I found my serving tray and, after finding a six pack of beer in the fridge, added it to the tray, along with a soda for myself and another bottle of water for Alice. I found two big bowls and dumped one bag of popcorn in each before adding them to the tray as well.

Finally, I found some chocolate bars and licorice and threw them on as well before recalling my days as a waitress and carried everything over, not dropping a thing. I walked in the door and Steve jumped up to help me.

“Babe you could have asked for help,” he chastised as he grabbed the six-pack and a bowl of popcorn and took it to the table that was set up in front of our seats. I snorted while I brought the tray to the table as well before I handed Alice her water. She nodded at me in thanks while Bucky and Steve popped open their beers.

“So, what movie are we watching?” I asked, getting comfortable on my seat next to Steve, throwing the blanket he had found over our laps.

“Jurassic Park. That okay?” Bucky asked from beside Alice.

“Hell yeah, it is. You two will be able to verify if that’s what the dinosaurs actually looked like, seeing as that you’re both super old,” I teased, causing Alice to choke on her water as she began to laugh. I joined her in my own laughter as Bucky flipped me off and Steve tickled my side, making me laugh even more.

“What’s that say about you then babe? That you like old men? You pervert,” he argues as he tickled me even more.

“Uncle!” I gasped, and he stopped his attack. I caught my breath before answering him. “No, it just means that I’m into 100 year old blonde super soldiers who can throw a shield like it’s a fuckin frisbee.” He chuckled before putting his arm around me and letting me snuggle into his side. He grabbed the remote and pressed the buttons to turn the screen on and to start the movie.

A few minutes into the movie I looked around at everything. Steve was happy, I was happy, and Bucky and Alice were happy. Life was perfect, and I couldn’t wait to see what it had in store for us.


End file.
